5 ms·
The larger themes are: 1. Community has always supported people in times of need, more so than government services. 2. The Internet had created distance amoun
by hosh 7y ago
The larger themes are:
1. Community has always supported people in times of need, more so than government services.
2. The Internet had created distance amount community members
3. Use of the Internet for funds like this (or for Gofundme, etc.) is bringing that back, though with strangers
4. Shifting attitudes and values on whether this is acceptable
5. One Millennial is now setting aside funds for direct contributions. I would not be surprised if that trend continues.
6. Continued pressure on Millennials to make ends meet with access to new technology has been leading to this.
7. Disadvantaged groups and their economic struggles are becoming more visible, along with means for the community to help.
- ryanmercer 7y agoThe larger theme is "Technology makes it easier for individuals to beg strangers for money". I can't open social media without seeing kickstarter/indiegogo this, gofundme that, need money quick, can someone paypal/venmo me money for thing, etc. Then a day, week, month later you see pictures of their brand new cabinets or of their vacation or they are hitting people up for money again for something else because people gave last time so now they expect regular handouts. Instead of getting creative, people now just go "hey, stranger, you have it better than me, give me your hard earned money!"
- komali2 7y agoI'm having trouble figuring what you're actually saying here. Do you not like that people can beg? Or that they have to at all?
- ryanmercer 7y ago>I'm having trouble figuring what you're actually saying here. I'm saying the internet, specifically social media and payment apps/crowd funding sites, allow people to unabashedly give their (true or otherwise) sob story and beg complete strangers for money, I imagine the vast majority of people on sites like gofundme would hesitate to even phone family for financial assistance and I suspect nearly all of the people begging on social media simply wouldn't ask if they had to walk up to random strangers in person and ask. Keep in mind, I say this while my nephew currently has a gofundme trying to raise 260,000 USD (!!!) for his mother for some experimental, questionable (cryotherapy for her kidney cancer, when it's usually used for skin cancer for example), cancer treatment in China. I think these sites/methods serve a useful purpose, I think however trying to get gas money to give to your mother to go see your undocumented step-father in another state because he was drink driving and is likely to be deported or remain incarcerated... or hitting people up for beer money... is not a valid use of such sites/methods.
- viraptor 7y ago> gas money to give to your mother to go see your undocumented step-father in another state because he was drink driving and is likely to be deported or remain incarcerated... [...] is not a valid use of such sites/methods. Why not?
- yakshaving_jgt 7y ago> Instead of getting creative, people now just go "hey, stranger, you have it better than me, give me your hard earned money!" This isn't new. This is the basis of some rather infamous socio-economic systems which have resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoDidn't think I'd see panhandlers get equated to Nazis today.
- sp332 7y agoI think yakshaving_jgt meant communism. Or socialism? Hard to tell since all the major systems have killed a lot of people.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoMaybe. Equating panhandlers to Stalin is just as weird, though.
- antepodius 7y agoIt's more like deKulakisation.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoEither way, it's pretty damn weird to try to connect begging for money with mass slaughter.
- kjsbfkjbf 7y agoAlso straight up ignoring the millions of people who die under capitalism.
- matz1 7y agoBut that is creative, utilizing a medium/tools outside its usual purpose.
- the_watcher 7y agoI think both of these themes are equally true. Informal (and formal) community organizations have long supported those they feel are most in need, and people have long begged strangers for money. The internet simply makes it easier to do both.
- gowld 7y agoCitation needed for #1
- shanemhansen 7y ago> Community has always supported people in times of need Sure, if you are the right gender, race, and religion.
- neetdeth 7y agoThe third definition of community from dictionary.com: a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists A prerequisite for finding community support is to be a member of one. There are many communities. The commonality and social bonds between members form the basis of trust and the expectation of reciprocity. When people perceive that their resources are simply being expropriated to benefit people they have nothing in common with, may never meet, and certainly cannot expect reciprocal investment from, they tend to withdraw from voluntary participation. Without that participation, communities simply die. It's true that some communities have a larger pool of resources to share than others. But consider this before you condemn a synagogue for helping out a local Jewish family with money that could have gone to taxes to help someone arguably more in need. It's sad that not everyone has a home, but the solution is not to demolish the entire block and apportion to each person an equal share of lumber.
- kjsbfkjbf 7y ago> It's sad that not everyone has a home, but the solution is not to demolish the entire block and apportion to each person an equal share of lumber. ...because? Do some people have more of a right to shelter because their ancestors raped, killed, and enslaved better?