A Selfie to Save the World… And Other Random Thoughts.
So, I guess I kind of wrote myself into a corner a few weeks ago. I was asked to do a blog, and I did one on the best person that’s ever came into my life, and to my surprise, it got a pretty good reception. It’s more than likely all downhill from there. Haha. I don’t think Molly was expecting what she got with my first post. I think she was expecting something a little more raw and abrasive. More of what’s really going in a man’s/father’s mind. Probably more of something like this…
Social Media is probably the most amazing invention of century so far, but it’s also by far one of the worst. It allows people to gather and share information at an incredible rate. It can bring you some amazing things (like this blog!) but it also bombards us with so much stupidity (like this blog) that it’s almost not worth it.
Social media allows you to have all the connections in the world, and never really know anyone. There’s always a new fad or buzz worthy that’s all the rage, that’s forgotten about a month later. Whether is Kony 2012 (you know there are still 1000s of kids still in the same situation and it hasn’t gotten any better, right?), taking the “Arctic Plunge“, or “Rick-Rolling” your best friend ,everything has it’s 15 seconds of fame on the internet and is quickly forgotten. If you feel out of the loop, or missed the most recent fad, just give it a couple of weeks and hop on board with the next one.
The latest internet rage is the “No Make Up Selfie for Cancer“. It’s comes right after the whole “sock on your junk” deal for testicular cancer blew up the internet earlier this week. (Come on ladies, be honest, was cancer your main focus after seeing that? Haha) The “no make up selfie” started out as a beautiful social media success story. A teenage mom used her picture and #nomakeupselfie to encourage people to donate millions of dollars for cancer research in the UK in just a matter of a few days.
Amazing, right? But now that it’s hit everyone’s Facebook/Twitter feeds it’s a watered down waste that will end up being forgotten about by next week. Pretty girls everywhere posting “terrible” pictures of themselves to promote cancer awareness. I don’t see a link to donate, or a hashtag to follow, heck, I don’t even know what to do other than scroll down real quick and try to skip the “oh you are so naturally beautiful” and “thanks girl, but I’m soooo ugly without make up” argument that follows.
Maybe I’m just dumb, but I don’t see how people can think posting a picture without make up can bring about cancer “awareness”. It seems to me that it’s more about “self” awareness. Do you think the people with cancer in your newsfeed or their families really need to be made more aware? Is a picture by itself going to help find a cure? If you are going to adopt a social media cause at least put your money where your mouth is and donate, or provide a link for others to donate to. I mean, come on, most of you are already posting selfies, this one just takes less effort.
And there lies the problem with social media. It allows us to feel like we made a difference without really doing anything. It gives us all the warm fuzzies, with really no results. I hate to tell you, but the old adage is true. If you want something in life you’ll have to work for it. If we want a cure for cancer, it’s not going to come from waking up and snapping a picture. We’d be better off spending your time something doing something more meaningful, like cooking dinner for a friend or family member with cancer. Holding their hand during the hours of chemotherapy. Babysitting their kids so they can have a date night with their spouse. My mother-in-law knits hats and scarfs. How about just stopping by for a few minutes to say hello or pray with them. It may not seem like much, but I’ve seen first hand how those little gestures can make a world of difference in someone’s life.
The real way to show cancer awareness would be investing our time with someone who has cancer, giving to one of the many organizations that offer support, or even better, just give the money directly to someone who has cancer. That way the money you give doesn’t get used for other things along the way. The medical bills for someone with cancer are outrageous, no matter what type of insurance you have, and no selfie in the world is going to help pay for them. There are literally 100’s of local gatherings where we can do anything from run a 5k to play Bunko all night to raise money for cancel research. How about going to the doctor ourselves for a check up (the best way to end cancer is to try to prevent it)? Something that requires a little bit of effort on our parts.
We are lazy. Social media makes it to where we can feel good and show “how much we care” without really doing anything. I’d like to think that deep down we are all better than that. We’ve lost a lot of that connection that brings us together as a society. So maybe take the time to do something special for someone. It doesn’t have to be someone with cancer.
And I’m just curious, if it’s a sock for testicular cancer, why is it a “no make-up pic” for breast cancer? That’s not nearly as cool. Better yet, what would you do for colon cancer or ovarian cancer?
If you are looking for somewhere to make a difference, here are a few places that have helped my friends and family when they had cancer:
Georgia Cancer Friends Foundation
Josh
PS. If you really just have to post a “no make up selfie” or want to know the story behind it, here’s the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10722672/nomakeupselfie-campaign-started-by-teenage-mum-from-Stoke-raises-8m-for-Cancer-Research.html
Fiona Cunningham’s original no-makeup selfie Photo: Caters
