In July 2010, I joined Twitter, proudly choosing the clever @ItsWhitWhit as my handle. Set on promoting my “Sports & Entertainment” blog, Writing With Whitney, to a larger audience, I was calculating when tweeting all things New York sports, the Duke Blue Devils, and pop culture. Likewise, I made sure to follow individuals who mirrored these interests. Although I enjoyed chuckling and disagreeing with various tweets retweeted (RT'd) into my timeline, from folks with varied perspectives on an array of topics, I normally blocked out tweets I deemed uninteresting. However, there were the rare moments when tweets from the rapidly rising sector known as Black Twitter piqued my interest. As a result, I soon followed peers of color who showcased comedy, creativity, and exceptional critical thinking skills.
Excited about expanding my Twitter horizons, I relished any opportunity to participate in discussions and hashtags in an effort to socialize, as well as increase traffic to my site. Thus, I became a professional at networking. Yet, as discussions became frequent, I found that I hesitated to opine on one topic: economics. As an Economics major, and newly hired Financial Literacy instructor who was in the midst of writing a Financial Literacy guide for families, I ate financial news for breakfast, breathed in policies like air, and recited facts in my sleep. However, I could not bring myself to provide commentary on informal financial happenings in 140 characters or less. Therefore, as my peers passionately argued the pros and cons of taking their partner on $200 dinner dates, I resolved to think out loud and debate amongst my core group of friends for I could handle three dissenting opinions versus 300. Such cautious behavior continued for seven years, with no indication of change in sight until I decided to take a leap and undertake a new professional venture. In that seven years since initially joining Twitter, a lot has transpired – obtaining a Master’s degree, completing my 13-chapter Financial Literacy manual, and embarking on an entrepreneurial path, which included the creation of a second Twitter page, @ItsWealthyWhit, and new blog, Wealth With Whitney (wealthwithwhitney.weebly.com). Dedicated to enhancing the knowledge of the economically disadvantaged and economically misinformed, I am proud to say that this new Twitter handle has been met with resounding success. Likewise, as Twitter continues to evolve it is imperative that my business’ evolution reflects the changing needs of the audience it serves. Nevertheless, with much evolution, some things have remaining the same, such as Twitter’s insistence on defining wealth under a one size fits all lens. As the topic of $200 dinner dates resurfaces and users bravely bare all about their working class means, which often sees them living paycheck-to-paycheck, Twitter users’ reactions have become alarmingly judgmental. As a result, the tone of the conversations are insensitive as a main catalyst for increasing economic inequality is ignored: capitalism. Likewise, the following issues operating under capitalism are equally ignored: the complexities of capitalism, (often) the lack of access to printed and virtual material about capitalism, and how that lack of access leads to widening gaps in overall wealth. Thus, for users who earn minimum wage living in bustling metropolises, their financial plight is characterized as that of the “sometimes poor”. Therefore, as these working class individuals log onto Twitter and divulge, their commentary should not be met with criticism and shame for obtaining employment in low-paying industries, but should be met with a willingness to study the context of their struggle. Additionally, their commentary should be met with an openness to be educated about an economic system that has historically kept groups left out of the conversation, and continues to exclude the disenfranchised. Thus, to aid in this education, I have worked to emerge from the shadows and tweet, even if my analysis does not result in an exorbitant amount of likes and retweets. Moreover, in choosing to participate in these contentious discussions, I make my tweets foster dialogue rather than lecture the masses. Furthermore, given my background in finance, it is very easy to tweet pretentiously while sitting in an ivory tower of manuals ultimately casting judgment upon the fiscally ignorant. Therefore, to decrease cynicism surrounding capitalism, tweeting with caution is advised. As I continue to build the Wealth With Whitney brand, I am aware that being “social” on a “social network” will be one of many determining factors in my success. Likewise, as capitalism continues to act as an oppressor, specifically for marginalized communities, I am equally aware that as conversations increase, cynicism, misinformation, and judgment will increase as well. Nonetheless, that will be no excuse for users for inaccurately define wealth because it will be these inaccuracies, and subsequent judgments, that will result in decreased dialogues about capitalism and how it influences daily interactions. The goal is to eliminate the gender pay gap, and economic and educational inequalities as a whole, and that cannot be achieved if we are not honest about how we are struggling to survive, and ultimately thrive, under the thumbs of capitalism.
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WhitneyEducation enthusiast whose mission it is to see Financial Literacy receive well-deserved shine. Archives
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