Here's Why #BlackLivesMatter Has Been Flooded With Blank Photos and Why Some Say It's Not Helping

Blackout Tuesday is a silent day of advocacy for the Black Lives Matter movement, and not everyone is happy with how it's turning out so far. The idea began as a music industry promise to stop business for a day in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter message, amid protests over the recent police killing of George Floyd. But the effort has quickly expanded beyond the music industry, and it's creating what some people feel is a social media standstill that undercuts the movement.

If you opened Instagram on Tuesday and searched the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, all you'd see is a black screen. That's because individuals who are observing Blackout Tuesday are sharing a black photo to show their silence and solidarity.

But for some, this poses a problem for those hoping to use #BlackLivesMatter to share and see posts related to the protests and ongoing advocacy. Instead, viewers don't see anything because of the flood of blank photos.

"Old Town Road" musician Lil Nas X was one of the first celebrity voices to point this out. He began the conversation by questioning how a day of silence is helpful in a time when people are calling for political action and advocacy. He tweeted, "this is not helping us. bro who the hell thought of this?? ppl [sic] need to see what's going on."

Individual accounts began sharing the same message to tell social media users to drop the #BlackLivesMatter or #BLM hashtag if they're participating in Blackout Tuesday. Some users urged others to stick with the #BlackoutTuesday message, and keep all other social media channels open.

Others have voiced concerns about people on social media simply posting a blank photo and calling it a day, and not really supporting the Black Lives Matter movement any further. Many feared it would become an easy out for influencers to superficially show their support without being called to tangible action.

Those interested in voicing support have been urged to post a Blackout Tuesday photo, but not to use the #BlackLivesMatter or #BLM hashtags. Social media users can also participate by sharing the voices of black creators and advocates on their own platform. A full list of petitions, places to donate and more associated with the Black Lives Matter movement is available here.