I ended up +10 overall (18 steps forward, 8 steps back).
To address some of the criticisms:
(1) People complaining that the quiz is American-centric need to understand that the BuzzFeed video and website are using the American version of the privilege walk activity because it was Americans taking the quiz. The inventors created more than one version precisely because the relevant questions can vary from place to place. That said, privilege can also be relative to the world (rather than to one’s locality).
Being born in an English-speaking home is a privilege even outside of the US because English has become the default international language (and is the most commonly used language used on the internet, especially some of the most developed websites). Furthermore, having guaranteed healthcare is a privilege even if everyone in one’s immediate area has it as well because we live in a world where so many people lack access to even basic medicine.
(2) Saying that something constitutes a privilege is not the same as saying it is purely positive or advantageous. By the same token, saying that something does not constitute a privilege is not the same as saying it is purely negative or disadvantageous. So if you think taking a step back was not “really” bad, you are imposing a value judgment onto the quiz that does not belong there. Being privileged is not always good. Not being privileged is not always bad. But privilege is still privilege, and lack of privilege is still lack of privilege.
Indeed, privilege often manifests in terms of an absence. Privileged people do not have to work as hard at certain things, do not need to learn how to control certain aspects of their lives, and are rarely—if ever—required to justify their behavior or very existence. It should be obvious that this can be both advantageous (privileged people can get away with things more easily) and disadvantageous (privileged people often lack awareness of the world and self to varying degrees). But again, privilege is not purely a matter of advantage or disadvantage. It is a matter of privilege—and most often, the privilege not to worry about something.
Lest I be misunderstood, however, please note that I am not blaming anyone for misunderstanding. Not everyone is privileged enough to have been educated about privilege.