Social Justice has become a trend among my generation. Everywhere you look, someone is sporting a t-shirt with Africa sprawled across it with some sort of indie design, wearing toms shoes, or sticking the Invisible Children logo on their computer or car. Being “socially aware” is cool. This popularity has truly turned social justice into a movement which would have never been imagined years ago. This sudden interest has pros and cons though…
First of all, the “trendy” aspect calls me to question the sustainability of such a movement. What happens when social justice isn’t the “thing” to do anymore? Will all support be lost? This is something that simply cannot be afforded. Are the people following these movements taking time to connect to the issues and take them to heart?
On the flipside, as they say, no PR is bad PR. Does it matter why people begin caring about the issues as long as they care? There are plenty of people devoted to the cause, using their everyday lives to make changes. Will it matter if the outer realm of supporters may be in it for the wrong reasons? Maybe the trendiness factor is what captures their attention first but eventually it becomes a deeper commitment.
A similar question can be raised about the fad, Toms Shoes. As many are unaware, Toms is not a non-profit organization. There is a reason their simply-made shoes cost from $40-$75. They are not only sending a pair of shoes to a child in need but they are also leaving room to make a profit. If the circumstances were different and Toms was a non-profit, imagine how many more pairs of shoes could be sent to needy children. The interesting part is, people are willing to buy these expensive shoes because it is satisfying to know that while buying something for yourself you are also helping someone else. The same question applies here. Does it really matter if the company is profiting as long as they are helping thousands of children along the way?
So, will this fad last? Only time will tell.
