#MeToo: Women Take To Social Media To Tell Their Stories

The hashtag “#MeToo” appearing on various social media platforms lately has, despite its simplicity, more powerful implications than it seems to contain.  Recently, this hashtag has been used in reference to stories that spread awareness about sexual assault. It started when several women who had suffered experiences of sexual assault while working with Harvey Weinstein shared their stories, and this in turn went on to inspire many others to do the same. Some of these women include Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and many other talented and prominent public figures. On Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and other major social media sites, a search for “#MeToo” brings up very heartbreaking, yet inspirational, stories about what women and men have undergone in experiencing sexual assault. This digital movement has since brought many people together and encouraged victims to speak out in hopes of finding support and relatability. It is, of course, saddening that it takes being victimized to bring attention to the issue, but it cannot be denied that the power and visibility of this movement has been helpful in spreading awareness about the things no one talks about.