Random Acts of Kindness

[ODFOx]

I quite like a random act of kindness. When they come up on my feed they usually make me smile, but on seeing the news today I've thought about it again.
If someone really wants to do a random act of kindness they wouldn't set it up and film it would they?
Now I'm torn. Acts of kindness and caring are good. Filming it for public consumption is bad, especially if the recipient is unaware of the camera, but even if they are aware and give permission it is still exploitative to a degree. But do the films encourage others to be kind?

What does everyone think?

I am always happy that sometimes people give children money (always for sweets or icecream) and it's so lovely. I'd be horrified if I found out someone was filming it. I think it really devalues the random act, because it isn't random, it's staged. And it isn't to dread kindness but to gain appreciation from lots of people for being so kind.

If I didn't know I was filming and my 'reaction' was uploaded online I'd be really embarrassed and then probably a bit angry.

I know someone who does "random" acts of kindness but then posts them on Facebook so that she can look like some Mother Theresa figure. She's a good person, but completely shallow and insincere

I’d prefer it if we were kinder to those in our own community. I have some exceptionally kind colleagues - who will offer to get food bits on their lunch breaks, who lend me one off items such as a warm sleeping bag for a DC’s camping trip, and these small acts of kindness really touch me. That’s what I’d prefer us all to do, to seek opportunities to be helpful not to single out strangers for social media gain.

Doing kind things is great. Posting them on your Facebook feed is all about ego.

Surely the point of a random act if kindness is a) it’s spontaneous- random! B) only the people doing and receiving the act know. C) ideally the person doing should remain anonymous or be able to leave quickly with minimal fuss. A bit like the ‘pay it forward’ notion.

Is this post inspired by the news article about the ticktocker who films these 'random acts of kindness' and the lady who came forward to say she felt dehumanised by it?

I think it's pretty low really. They're only doing it for clicks.

The worst ones are when they ask homeless people for money/food and when the homeless person says yes they then give them say, $500. These homeless people don't need their generosity challenged by these muppets and for the ones who say no because they need to eat, they don't get the $500 then? How about just giving them the money, not filming it and not 'testing' them.

I have participated in many random acts of kindness, but always on the proviso that only the facilitator knew (eg in the case of the theatre tickets for the person who would love to go but couldn't afford it, the ticket issuer knew who paid so the tickets were sent)

Regarding the lady with the flowers?
Stops being an act of kindness as soon as it's filmed for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

Here's a thread about the self-serving toktok bloke.

The other think about a 'random act of kindness' is that it needs to be an act that the recipient will actually appreciate. A random bunch of flowers may well not be.

To think this woman is right http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4589664-to-think-this-woman-is-right

Do you mean a random stranger giving children money or someone they know?

I would not be at all impressed with a stranger trying to give one of my dc money or anything else. Completely inappropriate.

I like kindness and generosity. Loathe the trend of filming or making a big deal of it. And the #bekind hashtag and all that goes with that.
On the occasions that i do a good deed, I keep it discreet.
I'd be mortified if I was a recipient and it was splashed all over social media. Urgh!!

I loathe the filming of it. I once gave a woman with a small baby in a harness a brolly when one of those summer downpours started because 1) I was just heading off my lunch hour back to work about a minute away, and 2) I got it free with a magazine (remember that period when we got brollies, bags, flipflops etc?) If I'd have filmed it I'd have felt and looked a right twat.

Filming it just makes it seem disingenuous to me and all about the ego boost. Sadly so many people feel the need to film and post everything to social media nowadays or it "didn't happen"

I like to make small crochet items and I leave a note encouraging people to post a photo on a certain Facebook group. It makes me SO happy when I see someone has found something I've made but I've never commented on them and said it's one of mine. I prefer to remain anonymous.

A few months ago someone in my local town paid for a few customers shopping in the local supermarket. I’m sure it was great to receive but it was all filmed - it was very obviously done for social media likes and not as a random act of kindness. It was also at the point when masks were still mandatory yet the giver didn’t wear one, she may have had good reason but it looked like it was so anyone watching could clearly see who she was.