For the past week and half, women of all ages have flooded social media with one hashtag and two simple words: #metoo. This simple phrase has touched many and encouraged others to open up about assault that most never talked about before.

This all started on October 15th when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted for everyone who has ever been sexually harassed or assaulted to post #metoo on all social media platforms. She immediately got waves of responses to her one, simple post.

But it didn’t end there. The simple hashtag has also created a community of women and girls who have been sexually harassed or assaulted, as well as a safe haven for people to come out and say something if they were too scared or worried to at the time it happened.

“I think that it [the #metoo] represents new voices coming in…honestly by talking out and by sharing your experience about this, it’s giving so many people relief and so many young girls in particular because it [sexual abuse and harassment] is just not okay,” says sophomore Ana Trandafirescu.

Even though this movement is already helping so many people open up as it is, there is still more to be done. One reason for this is because although some men do know the movement, most either have only heard of it or don’t know it at all.

Simon Mandel, an eleventh grader at the NYC iSchool, said, “I don’t know what #metoo is,” and tenth grader Wyatt Hill said that he’s heard of it but doesn’t know what it means.

It’s very important for everyone, especially those who don’t know what it is, to become aware of this hashtag because although it may not change the way people act, it should.

“I definitely think #metoo should change the way people act. I think the more we start sharing accounts of sexual harassment and bringing it to light, the more people will start realizing the magnitude of the situation,” says sophomore Alma Reiss-Navarre.

The internet is a big part of why this message spread so quickly, because so many people have access to so much this message has spread like wildfire all over the country.

“I think the internet is a great tool… within a matter of a few minutes, you can hear so many voices at once,” says English teacher Ms. Mangano.

Although it hasn’t been long since Alyssa Milano tweeted this hashtag, it has spread to so many people because of the internet, and in it’s current state, it is a starting to spark change.