Does anyone else get these annoying social media appeals that do nothing other than make the person feel good (and in the most insidious cases, morally superior)? If the posters truly wanted to do something, volunteering or monetary donations would actually help, not some moral bloviating.

And what happened to modesty? I know politicians and the like appear at soup kitchens and such for the photo shoot, but I feel like us average people have started to succumb to all this nonsense. There rarely is a thing as an anonymous donor anymore.

But for me, really, this all comes down to those hollow appeals for you to do something for someone by simply reposting a message on Facebook. While I may feel temporarily guilt-tripped for not helping one cause or another, I get even angrier by the fact that those people who are reblogging the appeals have done nothing other than that. And they are the ones who feel better about themselves! (/rant)

If you truly care about this issue, you will repost instead of scrolling past. (/tongue-in-cheek)

You're spot on. The old fashioned name for it is "paying lipservice". I have started a facebook campaign to petition against it.

I refuse to be guilted into those. I love Jesus, I love puppies, I love horses, I am against bullying/spousal/child abuse, but I'm not going to repost/like/share every little thing that comes across on FB and made to feel guilty that I don't. I am (very) sincerely thinking of deactivating my account on FB because of all these. The only reason I haven't yet is because we have a very large family and FB is how a lot of them keep in touch with one another. Maybe I should just de-friend everybody else.

I filled out an online survey the other day that popped up because I donated to a cause. It asked me if I regularly donated to other causes and to which ones. I left that line blank because when I do donate, I don't do it for recognition or to have my name on a plaque somewhere. That's my business and my business alone.

I am so tired of the "Look at me, look at me!" mantra that has pervaded society these days.

A few years ago there was a large event here in Sydney designed to do say important. I saw it as a massive news event that would grab attention and do absolutely nothing. I was spot on. I know someone who attended and she was proud as punch. I asked her what the event actually achieved, if it had helped one person the "cause" was trying to help. She answered honestly with "No". I replied that it hadn't given anyone any assistance, hadn't given anyone extra medical care, education, food, counselling etc, but it made many people who aren't in distress feel good about themselves?" She rather sheepishly admitted that that was the case.

Guess what. I am not even going near FB, EVER as I feel that is ALL it is about.

I'm beginning to think you're right, Sara. I deactivated my FB account last night.

The people who give the most are generally those who can afford it the least. They don't come out and say "look what I did" or "How great am I". They drop off donations, shake someone's hand and go home.

How can someone really be involved in something if all they do is forward/share something about it?

Well, to be fair, do you know that this is all they do?

I sign online petitions, and I forward and share certain things that I think others will be interested in or need to hear about.

I also write my MP and MLA, donate, attend meetings, and serve on boards. Not everyone I know knows about all of my activities. Not all of my activities are equally effective, but that doesn't mean the less effective easy ones are totally worthless.

True, but I believe there is a difference between those raising awareness and those guilting/shaming others when said person has no intention of doing anything. Bless the former, curse the latter.

At times it seems that a lot of my e-mails do this. Why, oh why, would I forward a message to someone just because it says at the bottom that you have to? “If you don’t…” [Guess what? I don’t care!]