With the Causes app on Facebook, it's never been easier to identify a call to action. My account has been inundated with them, recently. There are 2 or 3 "friends" who are unusually prolific when it comes to sharing things they "really believe in" and asking me "to join [them] in supporting it."
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad FB has a platform for people to share their beliefs and organize support, but it does feel a little bit like someone is plastering flyers all over my front door. The (often compelling) messages and (yes) calls to action with which these causes are infused become irrevocably diluted in this format (namely, the Causes app). I don't think anyone views their personal Facebook page as public bulletin board, so the weight and import of the causes themselves become lost under the invasiveness of the act which brought them to the viewer's attention.
I will always feel more closely connected to a cause that I come to of my own accord, like when I decide to pick up and keep a pamphlet, or sign a petition, or donate my hard-earned money, or (gasp!) try to get others to do the same. It takes a hell of a lot more skill and effort to take a riveting photo, pair it with a provocative caption, and get someone to care about it than it does to click a single button and send the same generic request (regardless of the topic) to 500 of your "closest" friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment