Awareness ribbon

Awareness ribbons are short pieces of ribbon folded into a loop, or representations of such, which are used in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK and other parts of the world as a way for the wearer to make a subtle statement of support for a cause or issue.

The meaning behind the awareness ribbon depends on its color. Many groups have adopted ribbons as symbols of support or awareness, and as a result, many causes often share each color. Some causes may also be represented by more than one color. Red or teal may represent substance abuse, silver or green may represent bipolar disorder, and purple or white may represent Alzheimer's disease.

Awareness ribbons are frequently pinned to clothing or tied around objects such as car antennas. When a more pronounced statement is being made, larger ribbons may be tied around objects such as trees and poles. Representations of awareness ribbons may also take the form of stickers, bumper stickers or magnets and are frequently affixed to vehicles.

Ribbons have also been used as a symbol of mourning. For example, many wore black ribbons after the Virginia Tech massacre.

Criticism

The proliferation of 'Awareness Ribbons' has been criticized as a form of slacktivism, allowing people to 'show support' without making an effort in time or money. Comedian George Carlin denounced this particular type of slacktivism in his act, and suggested wearing a brown ribbon as a scatological response.

See also

• List of awareness ribbons
• Yellow ribbon
• Wristband
• Gel bracelet

External links

• Testicular Cancer Awareness Organization
• The New Yellow Ribbon Tradition, with two American Folklife Center articles, hosted by the Library of Congress website
• Awareness Ribbon Colors and Meanings by Trinity London
• Awareness Ribbon Color Meaning Chart by The Pin People
• Silver Ribbon Coalition