Supporting Charities and Facebook…

I’ve always been a bit leery of Facebook.

Maybe it is the Farmville thing… but I have never found it as connected an entity as Twitter.

It might just be that you get out of it, what you put into it… but I do most of my Facebook communicating through my Blackberry, so I don’t see all the “other” stuff.

This last week, there was a “thing” on Facebook:

Change your Facebook profile picture to a
cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same.
Until Monday (Dec.6) There should be no human faces on facebook, but
an invasion of memories. This is for violence against children.

Yeah, I changed my profile pic.

(And, before you start squawking about delusions of grandeur, Mighty Mouse was the subject of the Essay that got me into University, after I wrote the Province-wide English Placement Test in Grade 12.)

But, regardless, as I changed my icon, I thought about this “awareness” campaign, and how it, like LIKING something, usually does no benefit to the cause itself.

(The obvious exception would be a program, like WE Day, where a corporate sponsor steps up, and makes a donation per click or LIKE.)

You should like my OTHER Blog:

It won’t do anything for either of us… but THAT’s my point.

In an economy where people are struggling, let alone Charities… it is becoming common to SHARE or LIKE something, and have a sense of accomplishment.

If an individual is having a struggle, or a tough time, it can be wonderful to have anyone acknowledge your situation or give supportive comments.

But other than an emotional lift or acknowledgement… at the end of the day, it gives no tangible benefit.

Now, to be clear… To an individual, that acknowledgement can be a huge lift.

But to Charities and Organizations, (what I am REALLY writing about here) LIKING or changing an icon only gives an illusion of support.

Most of my friends, who are technically savvy enough, changed their icons to Cartoon Characters.

In a Vancouver Sun article today, it talks about how Canadians are giving less to Charities.

Now I’m not saying that Facebook is 100% responsible… not at all.

Certainly the economic downturn probably bears the greatest portion of the blame… but… it is VERY easy to feel like you are involved, or helping something on Facebook.

I have a few “FRIENDS” who seem to have nothing to do all day but find different pages of Facebook, and suggest it to their connections to LIKE.

The sum total of their day’s efforts, will not benefit any Charities or Organizations in any tangible way, at all.

So, this season, as we get ready for another Holiday Season, keep on changing your icons, and LIKING things… but also be aware and give to the poor soul shivering outside, ringing a bell by the Salvation Army kettle…  Buy a Kiva Gift Certificate, and help someone with a Micro-loan…  Buy a toy, and put it in the local toybank donation box…

But mostly… be aware that giving a show of support, and actually supporting these Charities and Organizations, are VERY different.

(Oh, and I LIKED this posting on my own Facebook page, for what it’s worth !!!)