Why do we feel more inclined to be heroic online?

On Facebook, there is an App you can get called "Causes". You can search for different causes you'd like to 'support', such as, "Buy American", "The right to keep and bear arms", "Stop Federal Suppression of Airline Employee Whistleblowers", etc etc. You can go to these different pages and "Like" them, thus showing your support. After that, you can try to recruit other friends, or even make a monetary donation to the cause. (Where the money actually goes to, I don't know)

I don't really see how just clicking a button that says "like" on a webpage could actually do anything in real life. However, the thing that bothered me and made me think was this:

At the bottom of one page it shows the progress of the specific cause.
It's entitled: "How Large is the Cause?"
When 10 people join, it's labeled as a "Crowd"
After 100 people, "Club"
2,500 members, "tribe"
100,000 members, "town"
and so on.

I was looking at the progress of some cause that was trying to get a facebook profile/group deleted that was called "Remove "F*** Jesus Christ" from Facebook". They were up to 100,000 people, a town.

My question is, Why is it, that enough people care to go ONLINE and support a cause to the point where literally, a whole TOWN is behind it?

WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS IN REAL LIFE? WITH REAL, LEGITIMATE PROBLEMS?

Why can't people ban together like this, and act on it? Are we just so lazy that clicking a button that says "like" on it is enough?

What if all 1,251,061 members (the size of a city) of the cause The Right to Keep and Bear Arms actually went out and did something to support it that wasn't online related?

I can't help but think of the changes that could be made if the same amount of people online got up off their computers and actually did something towards a positive in the world.

What's everyone else's thoughts on this?

I agree that we should all make a difference, some people feel like there is someone on the other end, taking count, and then doing something based on numbers. FALSE. All there is at the other end, is a FB counter, that makes a determination based on "like" hits and then paying someone to start another "cause".

Its a vicious cycle. But then again, its easier to press a button, instead of going out and making a difference.

Peace, NRE.

it's easier to just mouse point and click.

reply to post by Lysergic


I know, and that's what's so irritating to me. On one hand, it's good that enough people care to get behind something, but I mean if you're gonna do it, do it for real!

There's a huge difference between pointing, clicking, feeling good about it... and actually getting of our butt, getting out there to raise awareness of an issue, then build a support base, then use that support base as you canvas further afield, then take all that support to the someone in Government/Business who is responsible and accountable.

plus, most people are afraid of going out to start ... there's not much real support for a lot of issues in our daily life.. so there is a lot of rejection/abuse to take just in the first step. Hence why so little is ever begun or ever completed as far as real change for humanity is concerned.

Because it is cool to care these days my friend. People on a front like they stand for something but in all actuality they could give a damn. If you look close I'm sure you will see similar behavior even of this site. I think only the lunatics truly care about the "cause".

reply to post by JesusChristSr


Yes, I think the people out actually putting their thoughts into action are considered lunatics these days! They aren't the brainwashed ones sitting mindlessly in front of the tv.

reply to post by casijones


They are the brainwashed ones who actually believe they can make a difference. Focusing on things outside of our sphere of influence is a key indicator of mental illness. Please don't take it personal as I can see you perceive yourself as a man of action. I was not trying to insult you.

Because it's easier than getting off their butts and actually doing something. Actually doing something cuts into television time. It's much easier to sit there and click a button and feel that you've actually contributed to something. That, or I'm just full of crap.

Originally posted by Skid Mark
Because it's easier than getting off their butts and actually doing something. Actually doing something cuts into television time. It's much easier to sit there and click a button and feel that you've actually contributed to something. That, or I'm just full of crap.

I have the similar feeling sometimes.

I was born a hero. Once when I was in Japan in the Navy I saved a guy from drowning-- he was drunk this one night and fell in the swimming pool. I told somebuddy and they got him out just in time.

Not sure about being a "hero' on the internet-- how do ya do that? By acting like some pipsqueek and clickin on something? Makes no freakin sense to me.

Ronnie

It is a sign of the times. Ok, we have a city of people who like their guns and just clicking buttons. Now what would happen if someone else wanted those guns? Within minutes you would have an army of 1 million all connected to each other and independently organised, ready to defend when push comes to shove. To have a constant army of 1 million people ready to go at the drop of a hat is very, very expensive in the way things have been managed. This cost bugger all and allows people to get on with more constructive activities.

why....because people are sitting in their four wall kingdom hiding behind their screens irl they are all pansies

You opened my mind up to the fact,that people can be violent sleepers. Do not awaken the sleeping dragons.
Let them stay online,not realy affecting the world in any way. Because these people simply dont understand we have laws and a society that works fine without them moving across the globe in a lynch mob.