To raise awareness and put an end to childhood abuse, participants changed their pictures to cartoons they loved as kids. It ... didn't exactly work, but the trend certainly went viral.
Led by the Human Rights Campaign, users changed their profile pictures to a pink on red equal sign to support same-sex marriage equality. The timing was especially important: the week the U.S. Supreme Court examined major cases involving marriage equality, in March 2013.
Kony 2012 was a short film released by Invisible Children, Inc., which aimed to spread social awareness about international criminal and guerrilla fighter, Joseph Kony. The goal was for people to watch the film and help bring Kony to justice by making him famous enough that world leaders and justice systems would take notice. The plan built momentum, but eventually lost its heat amidst a slacktivism controversy.
Breast cancer awareness (or any kind of cancer awareness, for that matter) is a popular reason to change profile pics. The popularity often peaks in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
You know how I know you’re a Republican/Democrat/Libertarian/Anarchist? Your profile picture changes with each election cycle. People love to make their political opinions known, especially during presidential elections.
In order to spread awareness about LGBT bullying, GLAAD created #SpiritDay. On Oct. 17, 2011, users were invited to change their profiles to something purple, or use a GLAAD app that tinted their picture with a purple hue.
In February 2012, George Zimmerman was accused of fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during the former's neighborhood watch shift.
People immediately took to social media in outrage over the allegedly racially charged murder. Many promoted a social media “blackout.” Users turned their profile pictures into a black box, or a silhouette of Martin in a hoodie. The blackout took place during Zimmerman’s trial, and even after he was acquitted.
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit organization that spreads awareness about suicide prevention, depression, self-harm and more. Participants in the movement usually change their profile pictures during the week of Sept. 10–17 (Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day), or on Nov. 13.
In early 2012, thousands of websites coordinated a blackout to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act, a bill that would allegedly allow the government to censor websites that violated copyright and intellectual property laws. To show solidarity, Facebook users changed their images to the one pictured above.
Has anyone ever mentioned you look just like [insert celebrity name here]? In early February 2010, users changed their pictures to celebrities they resembled. It didn't exactly reflect a cause, but people ravenously embraced the viral trend.
Riddle me this: "It's 3 a.m., the doorbell rings and you wake up. Unexpected visitors, it's your parents and they are there for breakfast. You have strawberry jam, honey, wine, bread and cheese. What is the first thing you open?"
If you get the answer wrong, you have to change your profile picture to a giraffe for three days. And that's the Great Giraffe Challenge, which went viral on Facebook in October 2013.
Spoiler alert: The answer is either "the door" or "your eyes."
The Facebook profile picture is an art form. It's the first thing people look at when scrolling through your account. Essentially, it tells people whether you're artsy/brainy/happy/boring, etc.
However, sometimes your Facebook profile picture stands for a statement in itself. Over the years, users have changed their profile pictures to support various movements or causes. Sometimes dubbed "slacktivism" or "pictivism," it's an easy way to communicate things you believe in, support or even oppose.
See also: 12 Facebook Statuses You Need to Retire
Whether for political campaigns or disease awareness, tons of causes have inspired people to change their images. Here are 11 different reasons users have changed their Facebook profile pictures.
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