The other day I saw a picture of a woman who may likely be having health crisis and was seeking for help from the general public but then, I was livid about the picture that was used in passing the message across, it was a picture of her with just undies, and the frustrating thing is the health issue that was being passed was just in her stomach, I kept thinking wasn't there no better way to seek for help here still with her pictures without having to expose her this way?
I can't remember her exact age but she is a young lady but then, it didn't sit right with me that whomever decided to help her seek for help from the general public about her health issues had to do it that way, it was condescending and let's not forget that the internet never forgets, I mean we hear that all the time, we see that all the time.
If she gets well one day and while scrolling through the path of social media, then come across her pictures, pictures of her practically naked, how will she feels or maybee if she decides to marries one day and her husband is shown the picture of his wife on undies just because she was soliciting for help, how will he feel, let's see it again, her child goes to school one day, and his friends, shows him a picture of his mother he came across mistakenly on social media, how would he feel.
You know the irritating part, we would still have some perverted men in those comment sections sexuality or fantasize about her body even when the aim was just to seek help, but it might end up passing another message, it then makes her vulnerable not only in her state but to strangers she doesn't know or may likely never know.
I am not against charity, and I am not against social media but I think we should give it a break and step back for some moments, before anything is posted, it should be vetted again and again, and be sure that it will not come back to bit whomever in involve. Although I understand that most times it should be put in books just in case, and for widespread use for those who may want to be a part of it but not for validation because it ruins the whole essence of why it is called "charity".
I won't be lying to say that social media has not been of help to many people who have come here to seek for help, I have seen NGOs seek for help worth millions and I have seen people responded, really up to give support in any little way possible, so the positive influence of social media on charity isn't a bad thing but it becomes bad when it no longer works for the purpose to which it was created for, it becomes evil when those in charge come out to lie and use the incomes for their own gain and justify their actions because they are "in charge".
Because of the whole charade on social media about being a philanthropist and to be seen as someone who loves people, people give out things that are not the needs of those they are reaching out to, they just do it for the camera and off the go and if breaks my act, charity is meant to be thing of the heart, an act that touches lives not for our selfish praise and the camera or accolades from people online
I think you should learn to go to those places without a camera to also keep those people from being preyed on by the unkind people in the world. Let us learn to show or share our trophy without showing some pictures not for us but for the people involved.
Let us learn to share, show, write, and talk about charity without having to put the people who are involved in a state that they may likely see in the future and wish they had not been disgraced the way they were during their worst moment. While I know most people may say it is gold PR at that moment, it leaves these people naked and vulnerable to the harsh world. Some people would come not to help but to take advantage of them because they know they are vulnerable and in a critical state.
This is my entry into Hive-Reachout Weekly Prompt 100>>"The Influence Of Social Media On Charity", so click on the link to participate.
Picture used is mine