The Red Profile Photo Trend Taking Over Facebook is Arrogant
It’s misplaced and here’s why
--
Author’s note: I’ve started a fascinating newsletter filled with practical advice on business, marketing & finance… All designed for you to read in one minute or less. Read it here for free.
Many of you have seen the newest display of solidarity going around Facebook. Turning your profile photo red, or posting a blank red photo to drive awareness of the lost work facing the event, music and film industries.
It’s often accompanied by the below statement…
It’s the symptom of a wider problem facing society… Victimhood. People are signalling their displeasure on social media for likes and attention, without the perspective of the bigger picture.
Everyone who’s out of work due to this pandemic-inflicted economic downturn is here through “no fault of there own” — not just the event industry.
Tens, if not hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide have been lost or suffered significant losses due to the Coronavirus pandemic, across multiple industries.
The Financial Times reported in August that 750,000 jobs were lost in the UK alone, due to COVID-19. The global figures will be significantly higher.
Why this message is misplaced
Firstly, a status or red photo will do nothing to loosen government restrictions on these industries. It does even less to subside the fear the population is feeling over going out to mass-attended events and getting sick — or worse, getting their loved ones sick.
The one line that stood out for its pure arrogance in this statement was this…“It’s an insult to say ‘just get another job’ as that doesn’t really work here.”
I think you’ll find that it does. If I lost my livelihood for any reason, I’d scrub toilets, wait tables and collect refuse to support my family. Those examples being stereotypically disliked professions. However…
There’s never any shame in hard work.
