We’ve all seen the campaign now. I don’t think you can walk into a trendy store without seeing it. Marketers have seized on the social conscience of young people to push their brand. I don’t think people are naive about it. I think know exactly the motive behind it. Everyone’s doing it. When you buy tide you can help the Indians in south America. Do I think it’s a good thing? I don’t know if I really care. The Red campaign gives their money to the Global fund to fight AIDs in Africa. They state that all the money goes to “Africa” I don’t always know what that means.
I guess I don’t think it is a BAD thing. But I do ask the question, “how much true GOOD does it do?”
And maybe the answer is, “a lot.” I just don’t know.
I think one of the potential risks is that we all get conditioned to simply giving to a cause as we go abotu our daily business. I shop at GAP for my clothes. I have to have clothes. So, when I buy my clothes and I give money to a cause, am I really giving of myself? Maybe that’s not the point. I guess my fear is that we might see this type of thing as somehow replacing our obligation to give of ourselves to minister to the needy.
Maybe we’re just a bunch of cynical Gen X’ers.