When Donald Trump won the 2016 election, the entire country (really, even the entire world) had some pretty strong feelings. And, as always, the country took to social media to express them. These aren’t all the different social media reactions, but the ones I found the most interesting, thought-provoking and moving, as well as some of the most popular ones.
1. #NotMyPresident
This Twitter hashtag blew up after Trump became President-elect. Tweets with this hashtag made references to Trump’s hate speech and positions on people of color, his attitude towards women, and the fact that he lost the popular vote.
Of course, the backlash against it was just as strong. Mostly, the people against the hashtag said that everyone should unite under President Trump.
But here’s thing: no one is denying that Trump won the presidency (well, maybe a couple people). Mostly, what #notmypresident means is that Donald Trump doesn’t represent their values, and he’s not their president in that sense. And by the way, don’t tell Hispanics, Muslims, women, the disabled, and any other group of people Trump has insulted that they need to unite under him. It just shows ignorance.
2. #StillWithHer
This hashtag is a little more complicated. People are using it to show their support for Hillary Clinton, which I think is great. It goes along with #notmypresident, and often, both hashtags are in the same tweet. That being said, there are some people I think might be in some real denial.
Look, I am no more an electoral college fan than any other Clinton supporter, but the chances that they will vote differently are slim to none. And as much as I would love to put my head in the sand and pretend we live in a different world, I think there are more productive uses of our time. I don’t have a problem with anyone being #stillwithher, I just think some of these people are in denial
3. Black Profile Pictures
Clinton supporters on Twitter and Instagram have replaced their profile pictures with a black box. Of course, this movement also came with a hashtag: #Twitterblackout. The profile pictures are to represent that they are opposed to President Trump, and supportive of equal rights for everyone. It’s to express solidarity and unity, especially with groups that have been the victims of hate speech and hate violence.
4. A Tumblr List of All the Good Things that Happened This Year
This was from the user helthehatter, who used a similar Reddit thread to compile the list. By the way, the picture is only a snippet, it’s actually much longer! It includes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the new Harry Potter play and chemotherapy breakthroughs. As people shared the list, they also added their own positive experiences to it.
At a time when at least half the country is sad or angry, this is a reminder of all the good in the world, and all the things we have to be thankful for.
Of course, Trump supporters have social media as well, but I’m not about to give any bigot the attention they certainly do not deserve by featuring them in this article. Instead, let’s focus on the positive, and the people who are showing unwavering hope at a time when we so desperately need it.