The other day, the Supreme Court met to discuss whether the California gay marriage ban enacted by Proposition 8 is constitutional. Yesterday, the justices heard arguments about the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton. The findings of the court cases could have long-lasting repercussions for gay marriage, and its cause has flooded social media outlets. To raise awareness for their cause, the Human Rights Campaign asked users to change their profile pictures to red, or to wear red in support of marriage equality. So if you have noticed some of your friends’ profile pictures changing to red or replaced with the Human Rights Campaign logo, that is your explanation.
The other day, the Supreme Court met to discuss whether the California gay marriage ban enacted by Proposition 8 is constitutional. Yesterday, the justices heard arguments about the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton. The findings of the court cases could have long-lasting repercussions for gay marriage, and its cause has flooded social media outlets. To raise awareness for their cause, the Human Rights Campaign asked users to change their profile pictures to red, or to wear red in support of marriage equality. So if you have noticed some of your friends’ profile pictures changing to red or replaced with the Human Rights Campaign logo, that is your explanation.
With tens of thousands of likes and shares of their posts, the Human Rights Campaign Facebook page has gained a huge amount of traffic. High-profile celebrities and politicians have tweeted their support of marriage equality, including Kristen Bell, Chelsea Clinton, Russel Simmons, and Ricky Martin. On Pinterest there have been images posted of the court hearings, along with audio transcripts. Social media agencies are surging with comments, likes, reposts, and shares. The amount of support that this issue has received is truly eye-opening.
The question is whether the majority of the people doing the sharing, reposting, and retweeting truly believe and are behind marriage equality or are they just joining in on the cause of the day?
I would say definitively that there is a base of strong supporters who are creating this content and generating this buzz. However, for the large number of users who are making it this huge, trending and hot-button topic, do they share the beliefs of that base?
I would compare it to the cause bracelets that have found their way on to everyone’s wrist at some point in time. Many people wore supporting bracelets because they strongly supported the cause — whether it was fighting against a disease, promoting equal rights, or whatever the issue. Then there was the large base of people who collected so many different cause bracelets, they looked like some kind of ruber-sleeved altruistic cyborgs.
There was an episode of South Park that explored this issue entitled “Scause for Applause.” The show was essentially making a social comment on people’s need to be part of a cause that is bigger than themselves — and how people capitalize on that need financially. While this case is different, it does raise the question: when does it stop being about the cause and more about hopping on the bandwagon because it is trendy?
I find joining a cause that a person truly believes in to be a noble and worthy pursuit; but some members of the cause just join for the sake of joining. Are users changing their profile photos to red because all of their friends are doing the same? Is social media now capable of creating a “cause of the day” that becomes so popular and hip that it draws in users who do not even share a viewpoint?
A cause such as the right to marry is a huge deal. Joining a cause to confirm your spot on the bandwagon might not be the answer at all. It might just be another wave of people looking to be a part of something bigger than they are. Do you join a cause because you believe in it, or because it is trending? Decide and watch the bandwagon as it passes.
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