Facebook stuff

[muses_nightmare]

(sorry couldn't think of a better title :P)

I was having a discussion in the comments of a friend's status about the whole Facebook cartoon meme thing and frankly I'm getting sick of people being all pretentious about these things. They do in fact raise awareness in my opinion, but the person I'm having a discussion with is going on about how talking about something never helps, and how it's giving people the idea they've helped when they haven't. I disagree with that notion, sure some people maybe, but frankly I'd like to think that my facebook friends are more intelligent than to think that they're helping simply by posting a cartoon picture or bra colour or whatever. The point of the whole thing is to raise awareness, which they do because they get people talking.

*sigh* I'm just annoyed by people that think they're better than everyone else because they haven't "followed the trend" of these types of things. Also, Facebook has become a legitimate form of communication, and a major one at that, whether or not people like it makes no difference. Things posted on Facebook often reach all over the world. I also don't see the harm in posting something like the cartoons and the status associated with them.

[Greenday]

It's tough to rare awareness of something everyone is aware of. Like look at the bra color/breast cancer thing. Breast cancer awareness gets shoved down our throats more than any other illness these days. No one is unaware of it. Posting the color of your bra won't do anything about it.

Or cartoons as your profile pic. Sorry, while it might raise awareness, it doesn't change the fact that 99.9999999999% of the people on facebook will continue to do NOTHING about child abuse.

[muses_nightmare]

Yes, but how is it harming anyone or anything? How is it bad to let people know you care about these issues?

I just get sick of people acting like they are better than everyone else because they can post a link to tacky pink products that probably cost more to make than they are donating to the cause. (as an example)

[HYHYBT]

I don't quite know what you're talking about, but it seems to me that having a cartoon avatar is useless as a statement, simply because anyone might do that simply for liking them.

(Mine over there is a photo of the ceiling, taken in the dark. Simply because, while setting up the account, it *insisted* on taking my picture, and I wasn't ready for one right then. So I tipped the screen back and let it use that, figuring I could change it later with a real photo... but why bother?)

[BlaqueKatt]

Or cartoons as your profile pic. Sorry, while it might raise awareness, it doesn't change the fact that 99.9999999999% of the people on facebook will continue to do NOTHING about child abuse.

depends on what you consider "doing nothing".

I donate tickets to a local group for children's events.
I vote for people running for office that support increased funding for various social services.

But to some people only the first counts as "doing something"

I do a lot of things for the causes I believe in-yet because I'm not out with a picket sign every day of the week, and don't broadcast my activities to all and sundry, I'm not doing anything.

Hmmm which does more for the environment:

Attending a protest.
riding a bicycle to work everyday-yes even in the winter/snow.

Yes I choose to ride a bike because I hate what vehicles do to the planet. But because I'm not all "in your face" about it, my motivations are largely unknown, and people would say I'm "doing nothing" for the environment.
But the lady I saw driving a ford expedition with a "no blood for oil" bumper sticker is an "activist for the environment"(I wish I was kidding)

[Greenday]

By doing nothing, I mean that they will continuing doing exactly what they were doing for the cause before: nothing involving stopping child abuse. They won't donate or help out with charities, they won't do fundraisers for it, etc.

[muses_nightmare]

But if even one person sees something like that and decides to donate, or fundraise or do something of the sort isn't it better than nothing having happened?

And you can't tell me with the thousands of people on facebook that not one person will do something about whatever cause is being promoted. Hell if I had any money I'd be donating to a reputable charity right now, unfortunately I don't and probably won't for awhile, so what's the harm in putting something out there that makes people discuss these issues? I don't see why people have to bitch at those of us who choose to participate, frankly unless they're donating or doing something themselves (which 99% of the time they aren't anyway) they're actually doing LESS than someone posting something as their status on Facebook and such.

[Greenday]

I bitch because I have people whining to me that I'm not doing it.

[muses_nightmare]

And I'm bitching that I have people complaining to me because I am doing it. Whether or not someone wants to do it is up to them, but all I'm saying is that I don't feel the need to bitch at someone for not doing it why should they try and make me feel like I'm wrong for doing it?

[Eisa]

And I've kind of got an issue with it. Like...well yes, everyone knows about child abuse. How many people actually think about it happening to someone they know? Or their own kid? Not very many people. You don't hardly EVER think about it happening to your own kid, or your kid's friend. Guess what? It happens a fuck of a lot more than people realize.

Now, changing your FB profile pic to a cartoon character doesn't do much. But I think it also gets people more involved with other stuff on FB that does specifically fight against child abuse. [I really like the TAALK tips, for instance.] And that go "these are some warning signs of child abuse. If you assume it's not happening to children you know...you're probably wrong."

[Boozy]

"Raising awareness" used to refer to educating the public on an issue in order to fuel future donations.

Let's use testicular cancer as an example. Most people have heard of it, but an awareness campaign might focus on the fact that (unlike other cancers) it tends to afflict men in their youth, even as teenagers. That is a startling fact for many, and might make them open their wallets.

So tell me how changing your Facebook picture to a cartoon character "educates" anyone about child abuse? Or how telling the world what colour of bra you have on would make someone want to donate to a breast cancer charity?

These things are pointless, and I think they're annoying.

I also suspect there's a danger of people getting their charitable "warm fuzzies" for free. The thinking goes, "I don't have to donate time or money to charity to feel like I'm helping, because I played a silly game on Facebook to raise awareness".

It's like Mr. Boozy always says, "If there's no time, money, or tear gas involved, it's not activism."

[AdminAssistant]

I also suspect there's a danger of people getting their charitable "warm fuzzies" for free. The thinking goes, "I don't have to donate time or money to charity to feel like I'm helping, because I played a silly game on Facebook to raise awareness".

What she said.

Also, half the people playing the bra color/where's my purse game didn't even explain that it was for breast cancer awareness. We were all supposed to deduce that from countless statii of "I like it on the kitchen table!" Ditto with the cartoon profile pics. A lot of people just saw their friends changing their profile pics with no explanation and thought, "Hey, cartoons! I like cartoons! I'm gonna change my pic to Thundercats!" Absolutely no connection to the actual issue at hand.

Now, a few of my friends have posted links to child abuse groups, encouraging donations of money and time...you know, things that will actually help.

And, yes, I did change my pic, but that's 'cuz I like Garfield.

[BlaqueKatt]

"Raising awareness" used to refer to educating the public on an issue in order to fuel future donations.<snip>
These things are pointless, and I think they're annoying.

and yet

The NSPCC posted the following statement on its Twitter page: ‘Although the NSPCC did not originate the childhood cartoon Facebook campaign, we welcome the attention it has brought to the work we do.’

and

While breast cancer charities were quick to point out they were in no way affiliated with the(bra color) campaign, they were keen to support its underlying message.

so the various groups are happy with it-now will people stop bitching?

[muses_nightmare]

I just don't see why people have to be asses about it. The Cartoon picture thing came with a status message that informed people of the purpose (whether it was the original purpose or not is irrelevant), and really the whole bra colour thing did get people curious as to what it was, and now when it is mentioned so is breast cancer awareness for the most part. I don't see how being counter productive by bitching at people who are posting these things as statuses while not actually doing anything yourself is helping matters.

[RavenStarr]

A good FB status would be:

Are you sick of people bitching and crying about what you put on your status? Are you tired of people bitching about why you have a certain profile pic? Are you tired of people putting you down because you like to play the breast cancer games? Are you tired of self-rightous people calling you a "slacktivist"? If you have answered yes then repost this. Also change your profile pic to someone who has his head in his ass.