AIBU to feel politically, socialy and emotionally squeezed!

[iwantavuvezela]

I wondered if anyone else had these thoughts, which for me seem to be a consequence of the social media driven world we now live in.

I have been thinking recently that I feel like a number or the proverbial sausage in the sausage machine within the sign a petition / charity sector / like this / sponsor this etc. . Let me try and make that a bit clearer!

Every day I seem to get more and more requests to sign petitions from Avaaz and Change. Org, or friends linking me to petitions to sign/ causes to donate to/. Almost all of the petitions I feel strongly for, there have only been a few that I have probably (mentally) disregarded. I am also asked for funding through Facebook, work and school, once again I believe in just about all the causes which I have been asked to donate to.

So what’s the problem, it takes around 30 seconds to sign an electronic appeal? The nub of it is that it feels like before I have had time to even think about something that I have heard on the news, a petition is created, put up on social media and spread.

There seems to be very little time in which to allow for my own thoughts to develop. Okay probably not so clear! I feel like I am losing the ability to critically think for myself, to make some judgements, to read and listen. I feel overwhelmed with the amount of signatures and requests that are sent to me. The difficult part is that it is not the charity or event that I don’t agree with, rather that I seem to have become just a “number” to these campaigns, where I sign electronically and add my vote. The next day it starts again, hardly with any time to take a breath, debate, think, and add an opinion.

Anyone else feel or think this?

I am assuming nobody has a gun to your head forcing you to sign these things. Also, the petition isn't going to go anywhere, signatures take time to gather if you don't want to do it immediately. No cause goes away with a single petition as well, relevant charities and petitions will always be going on if it's a cause that interests you.

Are you alright in yourself generally? This doesn't sound like a regular reaction to this kind of thing.

I think I understand what you mean. There are so many bad things going on at the moment that you can't help but care about- I don't think there are more than in the past, but now you can find yourself being told about all of them because of the internet and social media. What with the awful (to a committed Socialist anyway!) things happening in this country, and then all of the wars, famines and terrible poverty throughout the rest of the world... it is overwhelming.

It sounds like you have a bit of compassion fatigue going on. Maybe take a step back from all of it for a while and spend time deciding which causes are the most important to you. Then focus on those. It will probably make you feel hardhearted and selfish at first, but it is far more useful to do something concrete for one or two causes than to just float in the middle of them signing petitions.

I am quite brutal about thissort of thing and in fact rarely sign petitions because of these after-effects. And when I do, I rick 'dont contact me again' or unsubsribe as another of their ridiculously frequent bulketins comes in. Also generally just skate over stuffon facebook, even if I ve been 'invited' to respond.

As pp said, focus on one or two causes that animate you at any moment - if any do, and 'reframe' the rest as ill-judged overdaturation. YOU ARRE NOT EXPECTED TO ANSWER EVERY ONE. THAT WOULD BE MAD!!

Oversaturation, obviously.

Also, its OK not to have an opinion about something. I agree that there is a percentage of 'kneejerk' campaigning.

One or two things you really know enough to say write to an MP or councillor - you know , your own letter - fels like a much more effective use of your energy. It's what I do, anyway.

The only petitions I sign are ones I agree with on the official government website, which force a debate once they get to 100000 signatures. I write to my MP if it's something that I feel particularly strongly about.

I have a monthly DD set up for a charity of my choice.

I'm involved in an ongoing non-monetary charity collection at work, which takes very little time or effort on my part.

Occasionally I get involved in something else, like organising and sorting a collection of items for the refugees in Europe.

I do regular clear-outs at home and donate bits in reasonable condition to charity shops.

I do small amounts of sponsorship for close friends or family, maximum £5. Everything else is politely refused or ignored.

None of ^ take much time or money but I feel like I've done my bit and don't need to angst over everything else. No one can do everything but if everyone does something that they can do, physically, emotionally, mentally and financially then it will work out.

Thanks for those thoughts

RachelZoe- you are right, I think I was trying (although not very well) to express exactly that, no one is holding a gun to my head, these petitions do need signatures. (so I was musing aloud to the other thoughts in my head) - however I am using this as a discussion forum,

I had hoped this did not come across as an over reaction, rather just making sense of my own thoughts ... perhaps more like Sonjasister said, an oversaturation or kneejerk campaigning.

ThomasRichardin many ways I do the same as you, however I might try to get more directly involved in writing to my MP>

Silverdragonfly, you have got what I tried to express , and the advice you give is good ...

I never sign petitions...If anyone asks me to, I explain this is my stance regardless of how strongly I feel about the clause. It's just easier that way.

formerbabe is your stance because otherwise there is just too many too sign?

If you are receiving loads of these petitions, you may want to rethink your Facebook friends and tone down your use of social media in general.

I get absolutely none of this, but then I make sure that social media works for me, not against me and carefully choose my 'friends' and settings accordingly.

What you are experiencing is most definitely not normal.

realitycheque took your advice, cleaned up my social media page, unfollowed a lot of petitions that are generated regarding animal abuse etc. I think I need to just personally decide what to put my energy behind, the issue is probably with me and as others above have suggested a type of fatigue around world events, where to start, and a feeling of doing more, but been specific, rather than responding to everything ......

That sounds really positive. Hope things calm down a bit now!