![]() Unlike your daughter, black people can't choose when to invoke their blackness.Ĭode Switch Forget Wealth And Neighborhood. "A white teenager can walk into a store, and they don't feel at that point that they want to be black," says Kemp-Jackson. ![]() You can explain to her that, as a white person, she has a lot of privilege, both on her phone and face to face.īy trying on black skin when it is fun, safe and convenient, your daughter is inadvertently trivializing the experiences of real black people. ![]() You and your daughter already talk about race a lot, so treat this as part of that ongoing discussion. If that turns out to be the case, then you should explain to her that she is playing up harmful stereotypes about black people, even if that is not her intent. Does she think her raised-fist emoji looks more revolutionary when she paints it black? Her clapping hands more rhythmic? Her praise hands more dramatic? Her painted nails sexier? If your daughter believes that black skin is an inherent part of her message, she adds, then she needs to think harder about what it is about black skin that enhances her message. She says asking your daughter about her texting habits will allow her to think more deeply about what she is doing. Kemp-Jackson, a parenting expert and writer, says kids are more open to learning when they have a voice in the discussion. Questions like: Is her use of the emojis intentional, or something she just happened to do one day? Or, says Samantha Kemp-Jackson: "What are you trying to say that you can't say in the color of your own skin?" But the power dynamics that exist in real life don't disappear just because we're hidden behind a screen.Ĭode Switch The Emergence Of The White Troll Behind A Black Face When we step into the digital world, it's easy to feel like we can leave our IRL identities behind. Or maybe she thinks using them is a good way to show solidarity with her friends of color.īut there is a problem here. So maybe she feels that black hand emojis better convey what she is trying to communicate. It sounds like she cares about the well-being of the people of color around her, and she is probably not trying to cause offense. There are a lot of reasons your daughter might be using black hand emojis. (We'll get into some of the reasons in a sec.) A text that reads as playful to one person might come off as insensitive to another. The problem is, the emoji you choose might be sending the wrong message. How else do you efficiently convey: "Yes! What a great idea! I'm excited! (But not too excited)"? When a friend invites me over for dinner, I like to respond with a (thumbs-up). If your daughter is like me, she believes an emoji is worth a thousand words.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |