Lately, social media timelines have been filled with watermelon images. Some people put them in their profile pictures, some use them as illustrations, stickers, posters, or simply post them without captions. Interestingly, something as simple as a fruit suddenly became a symbol carrying a much deeper meaning. A watermelon is no longer just a watermelon. Behind its colors, people place support, anger, sadness, solidarity, and humanity...
Well, hi peeps! Welcome.
At first, I thought it was just another internet trend. You know, the kind of thing that appears massively for several weeks and then disappears once people get bored. But the more I paid attention, the more I realized that symbols have always played important roles in human history. Sometimes, people cannot speak freely. Sometimes words are too dangerous. And in certain situations, symbols become another language for expressing resistance and support...
The watermelon itself became associated with Palestine because its colors represent the Palestinian flag: red, green, black, and white. And because there were moments when the Palestinian flag was restricted or censored in some places, people began using the watermelon as an alternative symbol. A quiet way to say, “We still see you...”
Honestly, what interests me the most is not only the symbol itself, but also how people respond to it. Some genuinely care and try to learn the history behind it. Others simply follow trends because everyone else is doing the same thing. And of course, there are also people who become uncomfortable whenever humanity starts entering conversations that were previously considered “safe” from politics...
That is the strange thing about today’s world. We live in an era where information moves very fast, yet understanding often moves very slowly. People can repost dozens of contents within minutes, but not everyone spends time understanding what they are sharing. Sometimes support becomes performance. Sometimes awareness becomes aesthetics. And sometimes, tragedy becomes algorithm material...
But maybe that is simply the reality of the digital era. Social media has changed the way humans express empathy. In the past, support might have been shown through demonstrations, fundraising, discussions, or writings in newspapers. Now, support can appear through hashtags, profile pictures, reposts, and symbols. Small actions, perhaps. But still actions...
Of course, there will always be debates. Some people think symbols are useless because they do not directly stop wars or suffering. Others believe symbols matter because they keep issues alive in public consciousness. And honestly, I think both perspectives can coexist. Because not everyone contributes in the same way. Some people speak loudly on the streets, while others quietly spread awareness from behind their screens...
However, one thing that should not disappear is sincerity. Because once empathy becomes merely a trend, people will quickly move on to the next topic when the algorithm changes. Today it is Palestine. Tomorrow, another tragedy somewhere else. The internet often teaches us to react quickly, but rarely teaches us to stay long enough to care deeply...
And perhaps that is why symbols become important. Not because they magically solve problems, but because they remind us that somewhere beyond our comfortable rooms, beyond our scrolling fingers, there are humans experiencing fear, loss, hunger, and grief every single day...
In the end, I think humanity has always searched for ways to express solidarity. Sometimes through flags, songs, writings, marches, or even fruits. Strange, maybe. But humans have always attached meanings to objects in order to make feelings easier to carry...
And maybe, behind all those watermelon pictures flooding our timelines, there is one simple message people are trying to say:
“We have not forgotten you...”***
