As part of generation Z, the word, ‘woke’ is not foreign to me. You may see it as you scroll endlessly on Tiktoks, or you might use it with your friends, as a way to insult one another, playfully.

Using 'woke' as a derogatory term.

The question, however, is why ‘woke’ is used as a derogatory term? The word itself implies having woken up from something. In earlier use of the word, it referred to the growth of awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination. Yet nowadays, it references people who are ‘overly sensitive’.

The claims of being ‘too woke’ in response to someone unknowingly using stereotypes against a person of colour are almost too common in spaces of social media. The rhetoric that people who belong to the ‘woke’ are upset with everything, when they’re only bringing attention to crucial issues. Using ‘woke’ as a way to drive people away from a topic that needs to be talked about, happens under every post touching on these subjects.

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Is being 'woke', bad

But is becoming more inclined to research, to talk, to understand the socio-economic problems in a world, where inequality towards minorities is still a big threat to society, a bad thing?

There was a survey done, underpinning the thoughts of British people when it came to the word, ‘woke’. 10% had seen it as someone who was overly sensitive/offended, whilst another 5% found that it essentially was just stupidity.

Discrimination is still a prevalent concern with violence and aggression being the base of these actions. With the current government in the UK, repeat protests are close to being restricted. Whilst any attempt to quench the intensely aggressive protest led by Tommy Robinson was unapparent.

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Why do people want to defeat the ‘woke’?

In reality, people dislike being told that their subjective discrimination is wrong. Surely, everyone is free to have their own thoughts and beliefs. Of course, I wouldn’t tell you all that people shouldn’t believe in what they want.

Let me reiterate a concept known as the Harm principle. Individuals should be free to do what they want, unless they harm others. In the case of those who are anti-woke, we find more people succumbing to violent action and verbal assaults, daily.

People despise being told that their aims shouldn’t be to hurt people, yet to support them, even if less inclined. The people who want to defeat the ‘woke’ want to because they know the consciousness and awareness they bring is right.

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We need the 'woke'.

In reality, what we need is the ‘woke’. The same people that are complaining about the ‘woke having an opposite to ‘laissez-faire' approach to the lives of people being endangered, are the same people that endure the privileges of living in a country where conflict is almost unimaginable. If the cost of being moral is being called ‘woke’, would it not cost less to be more empathetic?

So honestly, would it hurt to use ‘woke’ as a non-derogatory term, a definition of morality and not an insult?

Woke shouldn’t be used as a derogatory term. And as a retaliation to that, ‘anti-woke’ shouldn’t be used as a good term. To criticise someone for being open to understanding a globalised issue is ultimately a failure of oneself.

Social media has promoted the idea that ‘woke’ is conclusively bad. But it is clear that the awareness it brings is important to the growth of society.

So don’t use ‘woke’ the next time you want to get on your friend’s nerves, or if you want to comment on an instagram reel, showcasing worldwide issues, don’t think about writing, “the woke is taking over..” I’m sure you all must have better things in your life to get on with.