I have lived long enough in this life to realize that everyone does something in the hope that they will gain something else in return, either immediately or sometime in the future. Sometimes, that gain might just be having the euphoric feeling that comes with helping people, or it might be to get more favours from God, and some other times it might be to get more followers and recognition online, and this one is becoming more popular these days as we see various social media influencers showcasing various charitable efforts but does it really matter?
From time immemorial, we humans have always preached about having good intentions as it relates to morality and ethics. One common scenario where we hear that a lot is when it's time to buy a gift for someone, we usually say things like "It's the thought that counts" but I think that phrase is even flawed because if it's the thought that really counts, why not go to your friend and say "hey, I thought about getting you a gift for your birthday but I didn't", after all, it's the thought that's more important, right? Having good intentions is great but the act itself is more important to the person receiving it.
Most of the time when I see people bashing a social media influencer for publicizing their act of charity, I always ask myself; did the recipient complain? I always see videos like that online and the people getting those charities are very happy and aren't bothered by all the cameras on their faces, do you think a hungry man will be worried about facing a camera when getting loads of food from a person? I think most people who really need something won't be bothered with the way they receive such things. The outcome of a charitable act holds more weight, whether it is driven by a desire for personal gain or genuinely from the heart, the fact remains that someone benefits from it.
A donation made for the sake of online clout still feeds the hungry, clothes the needy, or provides a home for the homeless. The tangible effects of charity are what ultimately change lives, regardless of the intentions behind them. Again, I will put more emphasis on "people who really need something" because I won't be offended if I find out someone is only helping me get what I really need so they can gain something else. As long as I get what I need, it doesn't matter the reason behind why the person is helping me. Let's say someone wants to gift me a new high-end laptop while streaming the act live on TikTok, you think I will say no?
I will immediately jump on that offer and even put on a show for his/her fans 😂 but the story will be different if I'm been offered a plate of food while being live online, I will reject it because I'm not hungry, I have food at home. Someone helping me just to gain something for themselves isn't an issue, after all, that's how the world works and it's the bedrock of business. I mean, you offer your services to someone because you need their money, while the person needs whatever you're selling, it's not much different from someone helping you get what you want so they could gain something for themselves.
The way I see it, this sort of thing becomes a problem when it turns out to be a scam. Let's say someone brings a lot of food donations to a poor family and publishes the whole act online but after they are done publicizing the act, they take the donation back home. That itself is inhumane and diabolical and I have come across a couple of such stories online. It can also come in the form of using someone to generate content online and after making lots of money from that person, they are tossed aside without any form of compensation. These things have happened so many times over the years, and later on, we hear from the victims how these influencers only used them for their benefit.
As long as the person receives the charitable act, then it doesn't matter what the intentions were, but as I said earlier, it becomes a problem when the whole thing is just done for publicity without the person actually receiving the help that was publicised. In the end, publishing acts of charities online can sometimes cause a ripple effect where other people are also motivated to help, even though they are only jumping on it just to trend and get more followers. Those of you in Nigeria, how many of you remember the story of Mum Zee that trended on Twitter last year? It started with individuals donating money and items to her, but later on, the trend grew so big that companies and brands also joined in.
We all know that most of them were doing it to advertise their business but Mum Zee still received those items that were donated to her. It was a win-win for everyone; Mum Zee got the donations, and the brands and companies got good publicity. In conclusion, both intentions and impact are important in their own way but ultimately, the impact or action is what produces the desired effect because good intentions alone won't ensure that help reaches those who need it, what matters in the end is that the needy receives the donations, doesn't matter if the person gains something from it.
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Second and third images: Image by freepik
