Opinion: Every so often, social media becomes gripped by a trend that looks good but is truly vapid. This is one of those moments.
You may have come across it on your Instagram feed by now – a black and white photo of a female friend or celebrity with the caption “challenge accepted”.
Most posts have little else to go on if you’re trying to find the point, except maybe a line about “uplifting women” or the hashtag #WomenSupportingWomen.
The challenge intends to promote female empowerment, and asks participants to tag other women so that they, too, can post flattering, filtered or fun photos of themselves on their feed. All in the name of feminism, of course.
So far, the hashtags #ChallengeAccepted and #WomenSupportingWomen have garnered millions of posts on Instagram, and the trend is catching up on Twitter, too.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the origins of this trend, although early participants include Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late basketball player Kobe Bryant, and celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner and a Kardashian or two.
I get it – social media is theatre. It's curation. It's performance. We all experience times when we want to show off a little bit of our lives and experiences, myself included
“I am awed by the power of women lifting each other up!!!!!,” the actress Kerry Washington said on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of herself looking radiant in a straw hat.
“It’s so empowering to see #womensupportingwomen,” wrote singer Nicole Scherzinger on Twitter. “Nothing makes more sense. We are the only ones who truly know what we go thru.” Her lips are puckered into a kiss.
Like me, you may be asking – so, what does this do for women, exactly?
The answer, in my opinion? Not much.
I get it – social media is theatre. It’s curation. It’s performance. We all experience times when we want to show off a little bit of our lives and experiences, myself included. In fact, selfies and “felt cute” pictures by friends that show up on my feed usually get a double tap.
But a self-portrait masquerading as activism or empowerment is lazy and, ultimately, meaningless. Whatever cause you may be purporting to support would benefit more from the sharing of resources about that topic.
I’m certain that most of the participants mean well. They’re not spewing hate, but they’re spreading something else that is detrimental in its own way – a passive, performative attitude towards issues that matter.
Trends like #ChallengeAccepted can lull us into thinking we’ve accomplished something, and it allows those who may not necessarily take action beyond social media to bask in self-satisfaction and win virtual approval.
This has been going on for years, from the "Pray for Paris" filters on Facebook in 2015 to the blue avatars for Sudan in 2019 and, more recently, the black square for Blackout Tuesday to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Even Challenge Accepted echoes another black and white selfie trend from 2016 that used the same hashtag in an effort to raise cancer awareness.
These trends come and go. And yes, social media might not be real life, but it can be an extension of it. It can also be very powerful. Think of the many instances when brands, politicians and bigots have been called out on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, forcing the individuals or companies involved to confront their corrupt or hurtful actions.
Despite the problem of fake news, social media has also been instrumental in giving social justice movements a voice and helping document atrocities, especially if traditional media fails to fully represent them. The videos of protests and police clashes in the US, for example, that appeared after the death of George Floyd, are continually uploaded online to highlight abuses of power.
In many other virtual spaces, I have seen individuals and communities fight traditional beauty standards and declare their rights to representation.
To compare these uses of social media to the self-promoting Challenge Accepted is to see how the black and white images and vague captions flooding our feeds are just taking up space.
Of course, people have the right to post what they wish on their own platforms. And I can accept that, for certain people, the sentiment of support surrounding this latest online challenge can be uplifting to some degree.
Though I would ask, if you truly wanted to uplift and support a female friend or colleague, would it not be better to send them a message and ask them how you can best do so? How does a monochrome image of oneself, not of the women you want to elevate, champion gender equality?
I especially ask these questions about celebrities who jump on opportunities to showcase their solidarity and "spread positivity" on their platforms – remember the cringe-inducing Imagine singalong led by Gal Gadot when the pandemic broke out? – but often end up endorsing little but themselves.
What I’m taking away from seeing these trends, which look unlikely to die out any time soon, is the need to consider how these platforms can be used more mindfully and with intention, so that they reflect our values, rather than our vanities.
The question of how we can empower others is something we have to consider for ourselves, in our households, workplaces and communities. Again, count me in on this. Those who truly care about these issues and movements as much as they claim to on social media know that there are more authentic and worthwhile ways to help beyond the smartphone screen.
And if, once in a while, someone wants to post a selfie on the beach or a throwback to a luxurious vacation, that’s OK, too; I’ll be sure to give it a like.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE%20SQUAD
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Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
