My Ethical Soapbox
The way we use our platforms matters a lot.
People often wonder aloud, “How can I make the most meaningful impact in the world?” Too rarely do they look for the answer in the ideas they put out into it.
Relative to every human who has lived prior to, say, 50 years ago, we are all extremely privileged. The fact you received this email in an instant, that you can read it in the first place, and that you could whip up one of your own without too much trouble or expense — looking backwards in history, we are the 1%.
Then when we look to the future, to the next gen, and the next gen, and the next one after that, we should remember what we learned from Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben (even if said gens won’t remember him).
Because what comes with great power? Great responsibility.
The word itself speaks immediately to empathy, connection, and to owning up to the fact that we exist as part of a wider world. We’re not separate from it, and in fact we’re called upon to respond to it.
Maybe you have a blue Twitter checkmark, a decent IG following, or a niche of expertise. Maybe your “reach” is just a few close friends, and your “organic engagement” is a conversation. But regardless of whether your audience is around the world or across the table, there are facts that you always have to be accountable to.
Namely, that you are what you do, that your words are actions too, and that the sum total of what actions you choose has an impact, not just on who you are and what you stand for, but on the next gen, and the next gen, and the next one.
All it takes to make a splash is a few pointed words, or a weighty idea. Every splash has ripples. Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re thinking, be it enlightened or enraged, when you put it out in the world it will go places, and find people, and come back to you. Like a message in a bottle that’s bound to wash back up on your beach.
What do you want that message to say? Will your bottle bring a message of hope and kindness, or aggression and othering? Answer carefully: there are more than just likes and RTs at stake.
From the Future of Masculinity weekly newsletter, where our community’s hearts and minds come together each week to do the work, tell the stories, and build the blueprint for a future where men and boys experience less pain and cause less harm. Written by Copywriter and Content Strategist Geoff Davies.