Floating around social media and the wider internet you may have seen the phrase Autism Be Damned. We were curious so we thought you may be also.
So let’s dig in and see what it is all about.
Where it came from
From what we can work out it has started from a meme whereby a proud father is championing his son.
He has proudly stated “autism be damned, my son can work a grill” while sharing some nice photos.
The social media user, Eddie Gomez posted to a Facebook group, Oklahoma Joe’s Owners Club four pictures of his son cooking chicken wings.
From there however it gained traction amongst autism communities and became more than just this example.
Other usage
Once the original post went viral others started to use the hashtag #autismbedamned to showcase other successes.
For example just typing the hashtag into Twitter (now X) brings up a selection of posts.
One which caught our eye was a student with an A grade showing off the results of his hard work.
Putting the hashtag into Instagram brings a avalanche of memes and posts. Some of the posts are fun, some less so.
In addition there is a Reddit thread where people share steps forward and other stories under the thread.
Criticism of the hashtag
As with anything online, some people can find a way to make things negative.
Going back to the original post about the autistic gentleman using the grill, some people have said “why shouldn’t he”.
Others have criticised the wording of the original meme turned hashtag.
They argue that the post screams surprise at what some would argue is a simple task.
Also they argue that “be damned” implies some sort of a curse associated with the condition.
Our view is that perhaps it is being over analysed. Let’s peel everything back and look back at what started the craze.
It was a proud father who clearly has a close relationship with his autistic son wanting to celebrate an achievement.
Perhaps his wording could have been a little bit more sensitive but there is so much positivity he can be forgiven.
Social media and autism
For us this represents the link between social media and autism. There is so much that can be gained from sharing stories, posts and achievements.
Online communities can provide support, advice and assistance in many ways.
With that said however some people use social media for less innocent purposes.
Scrolling the hashtag online we came across some mean and mocking posts which we would never share here.
So tread lightly on your journey around social media and be aware there are some mean and insensitive posters out there.
Summary – Autism Be Damned Craze
This craze was started from a short and heartwarming post on Facebook.
The post and indeed the hashtag gained momentum and now has become a beast on its own.
If you like the hashtag then it is up to you if your want to use it. But just be aware that there are many out there who will criticise the wording.
