A week ago, I noticed an influx of students claiming, in the form of Facebook status updates, to have found squirrels in their vehicles. Despite the very large squirrel population at this university, I found it difficult to believe that this many people were surprised by small visitors in their cars. It came as no surprise when I received a Facebook message the next day, accusing me of liking one of these statuses, declaring it to be part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Game and instructing me to update my status accordingly.
It is one of my greatest pet peeves when people throw around words without careful consideration of what they are saying. I then began to reflect on the word “awareness” and what it actually means to be aware of an issue. Does it mean to know or acknowledge that it exists? To be sensitive towards and care about it? To make sure to mention it in conversation?
I have heard my age group described as “the activist generation,” being more involved in social issues than those before us. I do not dismiss this as untrue; increased access to information has made us more knowledgeable of the problems the world faces. Social media trends also show a growing pattern in our society.
The problem is not the trends themselves. In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge raised millions of dollars for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association. The problem is that the other millions of people who dumped ice water on their heads without contributing a penny. “Awareness” replaced other, more productive ways of helping those in need.
Instead of raising money for research and treatments for these diseases, we now consider it the peak of social advocacy to make people aware of things. It takes minimal effort to tack “breast cancer awareness” onto the 2016 version of a chain email. Because of the cause, however, we can give ourselves a pat on the back while simultaneously pranking our friends, all without lifting a finger from our phone or computer screens. For some reason, this does not seem like the most productive way to serve others.
I believe that as Christians and as human beings, we can do better than this. I am not trying to abolish Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I recognize the importance of celebrating with survivors, mourning with families of victims and promoting early detection. I will never meet my paternal grandmother because this vicious disease claimed her life before I was born. It is with the utmost sensitivity and compassion towards those who have been impacted by breast cancer that I write this article.
I am guilty of this, too. I changed my profile picture to a French flag after the Paris attacks along with the rest, knowing full well I was making no difference. It is so easy to play these games and pretend they are something real. This is why I cannot stress enough the importance of being “doers,” not merely “sayers.” The only thing that makes raising awareness worthwhile are the actions people take in response. So please, make a funny Facebook post in October. Grow out your mustache in November. Douse yourself with cold water in August. But do not lose sight of the reason these things are important; contribute your money, time and talents to these very real causes which affect the well-being of so many.
