Privilege of PDA

Social media is an intricate outlet of varying content because there are countless ways in which it is used. It’s impactful, because so many people use it to the extent where nowadays it’s unnatural to think that someone doesn't have Instagram or Snapchat downloaded on their phone. Social media advertisements are futile posts and information on so-called celebrities that we must keep up with. We become deluded into believing that their luxurious lifestyles and life choices are ideal, which supposedly makes everything about them important to know. But ask yourself, why is Kendall Jenner’s yacht PDA with her NBA boyfriend, or Kris Jenner’s “natural” skincare that keeps her eternally youthful, more advertised on social media rather than the atrocities women in Afghanistan experience in the present day? Why is social media prioritizing such individuals who do not lack anything in life, when large-scale influence can be used to spread information on causes that actually matter? Well, the answer is pretty simple, and it has to do with privilege.

Privilege is essentially a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular demographic or group. When discussing discrimination we often imagine acts of deliberate meanness or oppression of a disadvantaged group through malicious words, acts of violence, vulgar jokes, deliberate exclusion, and so on . But it can just as easily entail the form of privileges given to members of a more advantaged group. Unlike discrimination, these advantages may go unnoticed, like in cases with social media. Privilege in the media is portrayed by the overrepresentation of majority groups such as celebrities, and the underrepresentation of minority groups which experience countless difficulties. This lack of representation minimizes the importance society gives to individuals struggling because social media programs people to prioritize superficiality for its own financial gain. By promoting the ultimate fantasies of love, money, fame and fortune via celebrities, social media creates an illusion that it's possible for anyone to become rich and famous, presenting it as the ultimate life goal.

A way for us to overcome this issue is by using social media for the purpose of advocating for important causes. When engaging with the media, bear in mind that privilege is real. See if you can identify it while watching television, or even listening to the news and indicate instances in which members of groups other than your own are being affected by their exclusion from privilege. Help educate others about privilege in the media while not being afraid to make a statement by writing letters, or even blog posts by engaging in discussions on instances of privilege in the media. When it is pointed out to you, acknowledge your privilege and take that opportunity to learn something new.

Only until the systems in our society that cause discrimination go away will there be no privilege. In our own daily life, we need to make those systems visible and acknowledge them in order for there to be a day when we can all enjoy the benefits of being on equal footing.