This is What's Trending Today....

Around the world, the words "Me Too" are appearing in high numbers on Twitter and Facebook.

The simple message carries strong meaning.

FILE - Alyssa Milano arrives at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards Entertainment Weekly pre party at the Sunset Tower Hotel, Sept. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles.

It all started on Sunday with a tweet from American actor Alyssa Milano. She wrote that women who have experienced sexual harassment or assault should leave the message "Me Too" on social media.

Her aim was to show how often women have experienced sexual abuse.

Milano wrote, "Suggestion by a friend: If all women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

Milano's tweet came after the recent accusations against Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein. More than 20 women have said that he sexually abused them. Among the accusers are movie stars Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosanna Arquette.

The hashtag #MeToo soon became a top worldwide trending topic on Twitter. More than 40,000 people have followed Milano's suggestion. And over 200,000 have used the hashtag on Twitter. Famous people, such as singers Lady Gaga and Sheryl Crow and New Zealand actress Anna Paquin, identified themselves as victims.

Some women shared their personal experiences of being sexually harassed or assaulted.

Others simply wrote, "Me too."

Some men wrote it, too.

Milano is known for her work on the American television series "Who's the Boss?" and "Melrose Place." She also was in the show "Charmed" with actor Rose McGowan, one of the women accusing Weinstein of abuse.

In another post, Milano wrote on Twitter that the accusations against Weinstein have "sickened and angered" her. But she added she is "happy" that it has led to discussion of the "continued sexual harassment, objectification and degradation of women."

And that's What's Trending Today...

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

harassment - n. aggressive pressure

assault - n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically

status - n. the current state of someone or something (in this case, on social media)

magnitude - n. the size, extent, or importance of something

degradation - n. the act or process of damaging or ruining something