What would a world without women be like? Check Facebook now.

You’ll probably find someone whose cover photo or profile picture turns into a black square.

The symbolic gesture began to emerge following the historic US Presidential election, in which former President Donald Trump was re-elected along with the GOP-majority Senate and possibly the House of Representatives.

Both men and women appear to be participating in the Facebook trend on Wednesday

Jayme Bader Rosenthal, who lives in Philadelphia, joined the campaign on Wednesday morning by replacing her profile photo showing a heart-shaped Israeli flag with a black circle. The change was a form of protest against the Red Tide, which re-elected Trump over Democratic challenger Kamala Harris.

With Trump’s slim GOP majority in the Oval Office, the Senate, and likely the House of Representatives, Trump worries about Americans losing health care through Obamacare, the future of abortion access in the United States, and unchecked corporate greed.

“With a Republican in charge, we’re completely done. As a woman, as a woman with a disabled child, I’m afraid for my son’s future, for my district to have its rights,” she said. “It gives people the right to be anti-Semitic and to discriminate. He’s on good terms with the church in our government. I’m not. Frankly, “I am a minority.”

What’s behind the black screen action on Facebook profiles?

Posting a black screen on social media can mean many things, including a visual version of “thoughts and prayers” following a mass shooting, according to a study. Post on Reddit.

This trend is also used to raise awareness about various social issues or high-profile news events. According to Newsweek magazine.

According to online sources, the black screen trend started appearing on Facebook in 2018. This trend started with private messages among women urging others to join the cause.

What does the black screen on social media symbolize?

For some women, this was seen as a way to highlight the experience of being silenced, and for others, it was seen as a visual way to show for a day what a world without women would be like. according to multiple online chats and posts.

The blackout screen trend is believed to be a result of 2017 “Day Without a Woman” The campaign was held on the same day as International Women’s Day, March 8.

The 2017 Women’s March and strike action organized by the International Women’s Strike movement asked women not to work or spend money that day to protest the Trump administration’s policies.

The Women’s March released an “official” red border encouraging Facebook users to post to show solidarity. Wealth magazine.

In 2020, social media users were encouraged to post black backgrounds on “Blackout Tuesday” to observe the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer. On June 2, 2022, nearly 28 million people shared the solid black squares on Instagram. According to NBC News.

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at [email protected].

(This story has been updated to add photos).

This article first appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times: Why are Facebook profile photos darkened after the 2024 elections?