The world is so crazy right now, even app companies are noticing. White people are beginning to look back through history wondering, “Have we been the worst?” Yes, white people, yes you have. It is impossible to change the past, but you can recognize the privilege you have in the present. It is literally the least you can do.
We here at Apps Can Save the World proudly introduce the White Privilege Tracker. This app allows white people the chance to acknowledge and try to change their privileged behavior, acting as a very literal baby step. With every instance of privilege you hold yourself accountable for, you earn points that can be used for fun prizes such as “Decency Lessons” that will teach you “Hey, maybe we don’t all have the same start in life!” But what do we know, we are just an app company.
Some examples of privilege our users have logged:
- Catch yourself repeating the mantras chanted by a white woman leading a Buddhist yoga class.
- White level: DADS IN NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS
- Find yourself casually counting your bills as they come out of the ATM and realize your safe neighborhood allows this.
- White level: POLO SHIRTS TUCKED INTO KHAKIS
- Realize you can spend an extra few bucks on an organic avocado at the local farmer’s market from the raise you maybe didn’t earn.
- White level: NAMING YOUR DAUGHTERS ASHLEY AND/OR BRITNEY
- Feel unconcerned by parking your car on the street with the doors unlocked because even if something did happen, your insurance company would be understanding.
- White level: PEARL NECKLACE FOR YOUR TWELFTH BIRTHDAY
- Stop short when demanding a complete refund on the aromatherapy neck pillow that you have only been using for the past six months.
- White level: CANADIAN BLIZZARD (Bonus shades of white will be given if you stopped yourself from yelling: “Do you know who I am?” or threatening to leave a bad Yelp review).
- Think back to when you accidentally walked out of a store wearing a fur coat but explained to the understanding manager that you were just going to find a mirror. Realize your skin color may have helped stop consequences.
- White level: THE ROYAL FAMILY (PRE-MEGHAN)
- Question why you signed up for a combat class in preparation for your trip to Ft. Lauderdale and your inherent fear of “new Americans.”
- White level: NASCAR TAILGATE PARTY
- Stop mid-sentence while explaining to the kind Mexican lady working the sample station at the grocery store that nobody needs all that spice. Realize that maybe your food isn’t the only food in the world.
- White level: WHITE BREAD.
- Stop yourself from judging other people’s grocery store coupons when you yourself just used a two-for-one even though you didn’t need it.
- White level: COUNTRY MUSIC VIDEO.
- Put yourself in a person of color’s shoes when you accidentally blow through a stop sign. Understand that they could not laugh with the police officer.
- White level: THE VIRGIN MARY’S WEDDING DRESS (Bonus points if you didn’t exactly pass the breathalyzer test, but the officer understood it had been a tough week).
- As you gaze adoringly at your beautiful home and happy family, think about all those who don’t have the same luxuries, because maybe, just maybe, your start line in life was already a mile before theirs.
- White level: PEAK WHITENESS!
If you log enough, you can earn points towards fun rewards! They're redeemable for things like Black Panther tickets (in addition to seeing the movie, you can show off the stub to friends and strangers); enrollment in a course on African-American history; or templates for aggressively chiding social media posts!
You can even send your points to friends. We have a “Sharing is Caring” feature where you can send points to your friends when they say things like “reverse racism.” You can always keep saving your points so that we can all eventually bring down this ingrained system of oppression, but that might be a year or two off.