Anyone else dislike Christmas virtue signaling?

[Twigaletta]

It reminds me of that Fast Show sketch, 'I don't like to talk about my charity work' etc. And then proceed to boast about their efforts.

Examples I've seen this week include staged photos of charity shoe boxes, pleas for funds to 'top up' (and in reality actually fund) some boxes for animals and someone saying they wanted to do something but just needing x, y and z, which in effect meant they supplied the empty box and the wrapping paper with everyone else supplying the contents. Lots of people have 'fallen' for these pleas.

I'm not going to rattle off everything I've done for charity this year because that would be hugely hypocritical. I just get an urgh feeling when I see the virtue signaling on social media.

I cant stand people who announce on social media "We have decided not to do cards this Christmas, but have donated a sum to [insert charity] instead"

Just admit you were too lazy to write cards and have (probably) assuaged your guilt by binging a tenner to the RSPCA (who you could have supported by buying their cards....)

*bunging

Just get on with it, do it yourself and feel good about it. No need for a song and dance on fb. Pathetic.

I can't stand it. For example people posting photos of themselves picking up rubbish

Anyone who tells you (or in the case of celebrities leaks it to the press) of any charitable donations or acts they do really puts my back up. Just donate or do the charitable act and keep schtum!

I get annoyed with people offering items their children no longer use to a ‘family in need’, cue lots of ‘That’s such a generous gesture hun’ messages. Why not just take the items to a local charity who can distribute them?

A charity act is not a charity act when it's boasted about. Especially on social media.

@Calmandmeasured1

Anyone who tells you (or in the case of celebrities leaks it to the press) of any charitable donations or acts they do really puts my back up. Just donate or do the charitable act and keep schtum!

Charities would get a lot less if this was a rule.

YABU to spend your time on social media then bitch about the crap people post on social media. If people are actually pushing these photos through your letter box then YANBU.

@RosesforMama I completely agree. But how else do you explain to your friends you are too lazy/busy/apathetic to send cards?

I cant stand people who announce on social media "We have decided not to do cards this Christmas, but have donated a sum to [insert charity] instead
This annoys me too

@Sedhuko

I get annoyed with people offering items their children no longer use to a ‘family in need’, cue lots of ‘That’s such a generous gesture hun’ messages. Why not just take the items to a local charity who can distribute them?

Yes this too. 'Got lots of clothes I want to go to a good cause. Anyone know where to take them?'

Who doesn't know clothes banks and charity shops exist?? There's even 2 just in a 1 mile square of our community centre.

There’s a pass agg tug of war going on between the mums on our local village Facebook page to see who can donate the most to the food bank. Every other post is ‘does anyone know when the food bank’s open, want to drop some bits off’ when the post right before it usually clearly states when it’s open (and one of the group admins actually helps run tot sit so the details are at the top of the page).

Also a woman who’s taken it upon herself to do sweetie bags for kids in the village (kind gesture but not v covid safe) and is now asking for donations because it’s ‘cost her a fortune’. Lots of progress photos of her making the bags accompanied by ‘oh wow babes that’s so thoughtful’ etc.

Tbf it is a nice thing to do, I’ve got my grinch hat on today. I guess the important thing is that the good deed gets done, even if it is bragged about on Facebook.

I cant stand people who announce on social media "We have decided not to do cards this Christmas, but have donated a sum to [insert charity] instead"

Ahhhh here we go again.

Every fucking year I get moaned at for not sending cards, in fact quite a few people I know do.

We don't send cards out because, as bereaved parents, we don't wish to write cards out for Christmas and miss our kids names off them. It feels awful. We can't include our kids names for obvious reasons.

Some people choose to announce it on their social media to save getting moaned at and make a donation to charity, some don't donate and some just take getting digs aimed at them and quietly make a donation.

The insistence every fucking year that it is down to laziness is, quite frankly, insulting, and small minded.

People quite often have valid reasons that you aren't privvy to, and if they chose to donate and tell people there are often reasons for that too.

"I'm not going to rattle off everything I've done for charity this year"

@DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult
The friends I know who make this announcement are, very luckily, not bereaved parents and are just disguising their laziness in virtue.

I accept that for some people there may be very valid reasons.

YANBU.
I don't mind people posting posting appeals on social media (minus the comments about how they donated etc!) to raise awareness.
Anything else is just boasting.

@warmandtoasty2day

Just get on with it, do it yourself and feel good about it. No need for a song and dance on fb. Pathetic.

I agree. I buy a bag full of food for the food bank when I do our weekly shop. The only other person who knows about it is DH.

You should see how they're boasting on DD's class parent WhatsApp group how the children are all 'writing' Christmas cards for each other. Drives me nuts. What a waste of time, money and paper.

And no, I don't write Christmas cards for people I see every day anyway. What a waste of money, time and paper.

I think the more people say what they've done and what they've given, the more it pushes other people to do the same. Doing something good shouldn't be taboo.

It's the ones that post to say we're not sending cards but donating to charity who then don't donate that bug me. I used to run a kids charity and every year at least one of the families we knew would post that and we'd think oh that's odd as we've not had anything from you!

Also annoying on Facebook are those posts "xxx is asking for donations to zzz for their birthday this year.

I hate giving or receiving Christmas cards, waste of space that they are.

@Southwest12 that's awful!! I personally don't get the link between charity and cards really, send cards, don't send them, donate, don't donate, why link the 2? And why tell people that you are? Just do it...quietly...or don't....

Its the calls for people to donate x to local hospital/food bank/whatever but thru the person. So people give her loads of food, toys, whatever then she gets to take them and collect the praise which she then shares on social media with a picture of her doing her good deed. There's been more of these since Covid. I guess some people are desperate for attention and praise.