Facebook, cartoons, and changing the world

Last week saw an amazing sight never before seen in all of facebookdom—when the profile pictures of many a facebooker transformed into powerful images, caricatures from not so long ago.

The Ninja Turtles, Aladdin, Thundercats, He-Man and She-Ra, Jasmine, Ariel, and other Disney Princesses, My Little Pony, Carebears, Smurfs, Betty Boop, the X-Men, Superman and Batman, name them, they were all there, momentarily substituting our virtual vanities, effectively pushing nostalgic limits, and all in the name of ending violence against children.

The participation of many brought back a multitude of memories from the yesteryears, a time when our troubles were few and far between, and our principal obligation was simply to daydream and make-believe. But with this seemingly spontaneous profile picture revolution came a stark realization—not all children are as lucky as we were—they who may never had the luxury of a daydream—or if they did, ’twas only to hope for a better life, one free from neglect and abuse.

The wave of involvement in this ‘hijacked meme’ (as news reports have described it) has spanned across the globe. But as much as it has drawn support from countless Facebook users, including former DND secretary and presidential aspirant Gilbert Teodoro and current DSWD chief Dinky Soliman, it has also drawn its fair share of criticism from skeptics. A panelist in popular US tabloid show TMZ asserted: “Does it end violence against children? No idiot, it doesn’t!” Some intellectuals and pseudo intellectuals also refused to join the bandwagon believing it doesn’t really do much for the cause, and instead, concrete action must be taken. There was even an attempt to demonize it by attaching it to the work of pedophiles and other online predators—what hogwash!

I do not disagree that concrete action is better, but in our lives, we choose our battles, and inasmuch as we all care for the plight of children, in realistic terms, not all can actually actively take part in making their lives better. And whatever support we can throw in for those who do, even through a simple yet evocative gesture as changing one’s profile picture, will definitely go a long way.

(Yes, it doesn’t stop it, but drawing attention to the issue, and showing your support for it by changing your profile picture, is a big leap into confronting the lingering issue of child abuse and neglect, one that must be understood, examined, addressed, and also fought on many levels (raising awareness through social media, particularly through Facebook profile pictures, is one such level).”—My comment in response to a friend’s rather cynical Facebook post.)

When we aspire to change the world, we try everything, we experiment, we explore, we appear brilliant, or look stupid, idiotic, even crazy, and that’s alright, that’s all part and parcel of the art and business of changemaking. Such is the motivation behind the unstructured, impulsive, unpredictable cartoon movement: Simple, crazy ideas can change the world.

How So? Facebook itself has phenomenally changed our lives, our world as we know it, becoming an almost essential hobby, an alternative lifestyle and a parallel plane of existence for millions. And it too started with a simple idea that snowballed into something larger than its creators have ever imagined or planned it to be. So you just have to believe in the ability of ideas and small actions to transform into movements for transformation, otherwise, what’s left to believe in?

Think “Butterfly effect” (“small differences in the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system”). Imagine, by changing your profile picture and making manifest your reasons for doing so, especially when done in concert with many others, you may have actually helped alter the course of history, beginning with the exclusive history of an individual. (And we all have to believe in the power of one to effect change).

Following the aforementioned theory, our collective efforts should’ve boosted the convictions of those currently working for the welfare and wellbeing of children, reminding them that there are many of us who support them, moving them to carry on with their noble missions. Also, the sight of countless Princess Jasmines or Ariels must’ve helped enthuse a busy lawyer or engineer to donate some of his disposable income to charities like World Vision, Bantay Bata or UNICEF.

Furthermore, all those cartoons and our efforts to make a point should’ve inspired even a handful of a new breed of hope warriors, those who will continue to fight the good fight and champion the cause of children. Now isn’t that action? Rarely a non-vicious cycle, I’ve no doubt this interplay between action and reaction and between the physical and online worlds could potentially change the world. That’s changemaking in the era of Facebook and Twitter.

And so on behalf of all the children suffering from abuse and neglect, those who continue to hide behind the shadow of violence, battery, and forced-labor, and all our childhood cartoons who so appreciate being remembered, I say thank you to all those who generously took part in the online miracle of last week, and may it be the beginning of a life-long crusade against all forms of abuse against children in whatever way you can, big or small, actual or online. Merry Christmas!

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