“I don’t think you understand — you’ve set off a whole movement, E. Women are using the#IDoNotAssenttag to call attention to all sorts of injustice across a ton of different industries, from healthcare to tech to publishing to engineering to entertainment. It’s pretty fucking amazing, actually. This is way bigger than Germania. You’ve gone global.”
I sit up in bed, leaning over so I can see the screen better. My eyes go wide as they digest the long thread of posts — snippets from women all over the globe.
Women make eighty cents for every dollar our male counterparts make. #IDoNotAssent
On the first day of my advanced computer science class, the professor asked if I was lost. #IDoNotAssent
My new boss calls me ‘sweetie’ and ‘pumpkin’ instead of my name. #IDoNotAssent
Politicians rescinded all funding for the women’s health clinic in my city, leaving millions without access to birth control and cancer screenings. #IDoNotAssent
I’ve been passed over for promotion by less qualified male associates three times in the past decade, despite my stronger job performance. #IDoNotAssent
My rejected manuscript only got published after I submitted it using a male pseudonym. #IDoNotAssent
No matter what I was wearing, I did not ask for my sexual assault. #IDoNotAssent
They go on and on, an endless stream, making my breath catch and my heart pound twice as fast as normal. For at least fifteen minutes, Chloe and I sit shoulder to shoulder in my bed, reading in silence. It’s awe-inspiring to see so many women brought together by my words. Empowered to speak their own truths, just as I spoke mine.
“You should be so proud of this,” Chloe says, smiling over at me. “I’m absurdly proud of you, E, in case that wasn’t obvious already.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It’s brilliant.” Her elbow bumps mine. “Though, frankly, I’m a little worried you’ve fired your social media manager at the precise moment you decided to become a mega-influencer.”
“Need I remind you that Caulfield wanted to sell my life story to Netflix?”
“She was misguided and slightly manic, to be sure, but she knew her way around a Twitter feed. I fear withoutsomeoneto manage your online presence, your message will get lost in the deluge. Or worse — twisted into something you never intended. I’ve seen it happen before. Left untamed, the internet can shift from supportive to shit-show in the blink of an eye.”
“It is a bit overwhelming,” I admit. “Truth be told, I’ve never been much for social media in general. My former Instagram account featured pictures of dogs I spotted while walking around on campus. I think I’ve sent, like, two tweets in my entire life, and they were in protest of my favorite cookie brand discontinuing the macadamia nut variety.”
Chloe snorts. “How can you even call yourself a millennial?”
“I never said it was a good thing! But you’re right — ignoring my sudden online… popularity… won’t make it go away.” I press my spine harder against the headboard, sighing deeply. “I may not enjoy it, but I suppose I should at least keep a finger on the pulse of what people are saying about me.”
“Not just that — you can use it as a tool. You could be the first royal in history to interact directly with her subjects on a digital platform. Think about how many people you could reach with justonepost.Onehashtag.Onetweeted message.” Her blue eyes are dancing with excitement. “You want support for your referendum, right? You want a direct line to the people before they get into those voting booths and determine the fate of this kingdom? You want to reach the young people of this country before their opinions can be swayed by old men with deep pockets who are desperate to remain in power?This, right here, is how you do it. It’s your gateway to the people.”
My eyes have gone wide. I’ve never before heard Chloe speak with this much enthusiasm aboutanything, let alone take an active interest in something as boring as politics.
“I just think ignoring this opportunity would be a mistake,” she continues softly, still scrolling through the stream of posts. “Caulfield isn’t the only social media manager on the planet, you know. Someone else could help craft your identity without betraying your interests. You should at least consider hiring someone to help you learn to navigate the online world.”
“I don’t need to consider it.”
She sighs. “Well, that’s just stubborn—”
“I don’t need to consider it, because I already have the perfect person for the job.”
Her brows lift. “Who?”
“You.”
“Me?!”
I nod. “Yes, you.”
“You must be joking.”
“Why would I joke about this?”