Please Stop Saying You “Look Like a Homeless Person.”

By Jade Leonardo charlottejadeleonardo@gmail. com

TikTok and other social media platforms can be fun ways to waste time, or even occasionally, a convenient place to pick up a new fact or two. But we all know that social media also has its drawbacks; people compare their entire lives to a thirty second highlight reel and many of us can only go a couple of minutes between checking our phone for notifications. One drawback that is not discussed enough, is how social media can unintentionally perpetuate stereotypes through sound bites and actions that are meant to seem fun and light hearted.

One trend on TikTok includes a statement that the user, “looks like a homeless person.” This phrase has got to go. Already, there are many harmful stereotypes surrounding homelessness and what it means to be a person who is homeless. We do not need teens and twenty somethings thinking it is cute or funny to liken their lazy day outfits or fresh out of bed, no makeup faces, to the harsh reality that nearly 8,000 people face in San Francisco alone.

Besides being insensitive and out of touch with reality, this phrase also assumes that all people who are homeless look the same and that could not be farther from the truth. Yes, a lot of people have this idea that pops into their heads when they think of the word “homeless,” but that is exactly the problem. Homelessness does not have a certain look. It does not only affect a certain group of people.

Did you know according to the San Francisco Homeless Count and Survey, that in 2022, nearly approximately 1,000 of the total number of people who were homeless in San Francisco were youths? Or that 36 percent of the documented homeless population reported psychiatric or emotional conditions? Or that 23 percent of survey respondents had been in foster care?

It is important to remember that these numbers represent real people; that homelessness is a real problem faced by so many real people. It is also important to remember that our words matter. Next time you plan to flippantly post what you think is a cute or funny TikTok or Instagram story, stop and consider whether what you are saying or doing could be harmful to a person or group of diverse people.