People all over the world are proving to not judge a book by
its cover with the hashtag #DontJudgeChallenge.
But is the challenge doing more harm than good?
The #DontJudgeChallenege is the latest trend users are
taking to on all forms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and
Vine. The challenge is simple; users
record themselves with drawn on zits, unibrows and other physical attributes
that are associated with body shaming then transform and reveal a more
beautiful version of themselves without the flaws.
Intended to be a social media campaign in hopes to end body
shaming, many question the message behind the hashtag. The individuals participating in the
challenge are clearly attractive and would rarely be judged on their
looks.
The campaign can be seen as a parody, making of fun of
individuals with these features and cruelly mocking their looks. If the universal description “ugly” consists
of acne skin, messy hair and birth marks, that itself is being
judgmental.
These physical features (acne, braces, etc.) are something
people, especially teens, cope with every day, and cannot be erased away in .1
seconds like the challenge videos.
With its goal to empower teens and address the issue of
those who are judged based on their appearances, it is instead insulting those
with these flaws.
Narccissism is the last word the #DontJudgeChallenge ever
wanted to be linked to, but unfortunately it is.
While other hashtags can add excellent publicity to messages
or movements such as the #IceBucketChallenge and #YesAllWomen, this is not the
case. With good intentions behind it, they
have, ironically, been backfired.
Perhaps, another and better web trend will launch soon, reminding us no
matter what you look like—everyone is beautiful inside and out.
Written by Chloe Slavin from Rebecca Adele PR & Events
