The Point of Power
Published on June 21, 2017, at 5:20 a.m.
by Jessie Banks.
It is the year of 2017 and along with oversized denim jackets and Vans checkered sneakers, having an opinion also seems to be of the latest trends. If you don’t believe me, just log into your personal Facebook account and scroll through your newsfeed. Left and right people are standing up for their beliefs, whether it’s a certain brand of laundry detergent or the Women’s March. While both topics could be considered riveting to the right person, the posts I gravitate toward are usually more political with lots of comments.
Feminism, the fight for equality among sexes, appears to be one of the most talked about issues today. The need for equality has been the theme of commercials, business campaigns and marketing efforts across the country. Dating applications, such as Bumble, got wind of the latest trend early when they began creating their apps.
For those who are unaware, Bumble is one of the dating applications on the market in which the females must initiate all conversation. If any relationship is to form from swiping left and right, the girls would be held responsible.
The other day when my friend and I were on one of our Bumble tirades she said, “I love being able to have the power, but I don’t think I could ever use it.”
In reference to her timid behavior, I immediately thought, “Well isn’t the point of this power to use it?”
Power is defined as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of evidence.” In other words, power is the ability to create change.
While this version of change might be considered minute on the scale of evolution, it still made me wonder how it could be applied to other situations.
Take voting, for example. Women have fought for decades to obtain the right to vote. It was not until 1920 when we could freely fill in a circle on an election ballot. That being said, I found it odd how some of my friends refused to vote in this year’s election. We have been granted the power to change something, but are uncertain about using it.
The point of power, in my opinion, is to create positive change in any way that you can.
As a Bumble online dating user, my friend now uses her power to start the conversation.
As a female citizen of our country, I used my power to participate in this past year’s election.
As an aspiring PR professional, I use my power to deliver meaningful content in support of my company’s image.
Every person has the opportunity to influence someone else in one way or another. It is up to you to take it.
