You Are Not A Brand

This pressure to distill ourselves down into one easily digestible nugget, as if we were a tagline incarnate, robs us of our nuance. It feeds stereotypes and fuels tribalism by making us believe that people with similar personal “brands” must all agree on everything. It trains us to believe people are simple, one-dimentional, easy to understand, and therefore easy to judge.

But it’s not that easy. We are all much more than can ever be communicated on social media, and (if we’re healthy) we don’t fitneatly into boxes or stereotypes.

Use Your InfluenceCourtney ChristensonJanuary 10, 2023Feminism, Social Norms, Social Media, Nuance

The Best Way to Prevent Gun Violence

Like many of you, I’ve been grieving the gun violence that is plaguing our nation. I’ve been processing. Trying to find a path forward amidst all the understandable rage and unhelpful social media arguments.

After weeks of mind-spinning, the question I keep coming back to is this:

Why are we framing the conversation about how to curb gun violence as a matter of opinion? It’s not a matter of opinion. There’s data (cold, hard numbers) about which tactics are effective and which are not.

Use Your InfluenceCourtney ChristensonJune 8, 2022Politics, Violence, Activism, Justice

How To Spark Change By Breaking Social Norms

Even small acts of breaking seemingly insignificant social norms can have massive ripple effects in breaking down unjust social systems and disrupting unjust power structures.

Use Your InfluenceCourtney ChristensonFebruary 14, 2021Social Norms, Feminism, Spark Change, Marriage

Reflections on the Power of Making People Feel Seen: A Response to Insurrection

Watching hundreds of people commit treasonous, violent crimes and attempt to overthrow our democratic government in the name of patriotism made me marvel at the power of making people feel seen.

Use Your InfluenceCourtney ChristensonJanuary 14, 2021Politics, Justice, U.S.