I bet I know who my friends are, and they will comment on this important cause, and then copy and post this on their wall for one hour, so all their pyramid-loving friends can do the same and then we’ll all know who is part of the really awesome save the capybaras crowd, and who just doesn’t give a shit about this really awesome cause that affects us all and I just know you’re awesome.
Sorry. I refuse to participate in ANY of these stupid fucking self-aggrandizing spam-fests.
I also will never participate in a Facebook or Internet petition, because THEY DON’T FUCKING WORK!
Should this be in The Pit? Move it if you want. I don’t give a shit!
Can we move this beyond Social Media to real life as well?
The world nowadays is full of Causes Du Jour that I truly, genuinely either do not give a shit about (or even am actively opposed to, in some cases.)
My complete lack of fucks over the plight of the Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka doesn’t make me a horrible person, just as I don’t think you’re an inhuman monster for not caring about the things I do care about.
It’s time for people to stop Compassion Shaming, as I believe the social justice warriors at my local internets would say.
Sure. Let’s make this about all these well-to-do groups that will never make any kind of minuscule dent in their cause because you bought a bumper sticker or stuffed a couple bucks in a ceramic panda’s ass.
I don’t actually have a Facebook account, but my wife does (though she doesn’t use it) and we share an email address. I saw in today’s emails that there was a post from a friend of ours, beginning something like “Most of you won’t do this, but…” Curious, I opened the post and it was all about cancer, just like you described, down to not “sharing” but copy/pasting.
He’s a good guy. I wouldn’t have thought he’d disseminate such crap.
Anyway, it made me realize two things: first, I really should quit opening Facebook-post-related emails, and second, boy was it a good decision not to get a Facebook account of my own.
Yeah, but some of them are, in the most part decent – albeit possibly distant – friends, and then this shit hits the “wall.” I have to ask myself why? Do they really think that a Facebook post will bring about a revolution?
Of course it won’t: so why? Why participate in this ridiculous charade? Nothing will happen. Nothing!
When’s the last time you heard of a Facebook poll changing policy, for anything! Put the gun down and walk away. Your little pipsqueak voice ain’t gonna do shit.
At least in real voting your vote does indeed add to the total and make a difference.
You sure about that? Most companies and some politicians monitor Facebook. If they see a lot of displeasure about something, they might change their policies. I have no proof either way, but it’s possible.
I’ve asked people straight up why they’re participating in obvious nonsense and their responses, without exception, have been an indignant “Well, I wanted to do something about [cause/issue]!” - with a clear implication I’m the asshole for pointing out the absurdity of the situation, not them for engaging in pointless tree-hugging bullshit.
No-one has ever said “You know what? You’re right; changing my status on a social media platform isn’t going to do anything. I’m a noob. Thanks for setting me straight, I owe you a drink now.”
These attempts to emotionally hijack you into publicly showing support for the cause of the day are bad enough, but I recently became aware of an even worse phenomenon.
FB “friends” can add you to a FB group without your permission. If you’re not observant, you may not even notice that they’ve done this, and your group memberships are displayed in your profile!
I recently had someone add me to a “support law enforcement” type group. Now of course I support law enforcement, but this was a reactionary “blue lives matter” kind of group so I quit it.
Why does FB make it possible for people to do this? It forces you to choose between publicly showing support for things someone else thinks you should support, or giving the impression to a friend or family member that you don’t support law enforcement or whatever.
