After MeToo

MeToo was made up of millions of personal stories. There were the bombshell revelations about celebrities, politicians, and the powerful. But the core of the movement felt closer: posts from our neighbors, our teachers, our acquaintances, ourselves. Millions of voices rising into a crescendo screaming, “Enough.” Enough of the old ways, bad habits, and ignorance that forced us to suffer harassment and abuse in silence. Things for the next generation would be different.

But did that happen? We wanted to find out what the legacy of the MeToo movement is—five years after it became a national story, as kids graduate and enter the workplaces, the college campuses, and the world that those voices have tried to create. It seems clear that something in our culture has shifted, but how much has actually changed? To find out, we spoke to people who have lived and grown through this era, asking them how it impacted their lives. We talked with those who experienced life before MeToo, reflecting on what they hoped would be different. We also looked back at the cultural influences of this era—the media, music, and influencers who shaped it. We wanted to know: How has this era altered the landscape for the generation that came of age after MeToo? And to answer that, you have to go back to the movement’s heart: the personal stories.