New Media and Social Responsibility

I am hesitant to discuss this, weary that I may embarrass the people involved.   I’ll be sharing 2 stories where people  help others “in their network”,  who are in dire need. But, I will twist the story a little bit so the people concerned will not be identified.

Story # 1:

This blog, Sonnie Side Up,  is (still) part of Entrecard community because of the  marketing opportunity it provided and the relationship it built with other blogs. There’s this blogger normally active and engaging became unusually silent or inactive for a while. We send private messages and email but it was unanswered until we received news that 2 members of his family were hospitalized and in serious condition. This blogger was recently retrenched from work and turned to blogging to make a living. As other bloggers in the community came to know of the situation, each one extended a hand. Some  visited them to show and give support, others send their help via pay pal and still others,  send help via western union.

Story # 2:

In one of the SNS (Social Networking Sites) where I maintain an account, one of my contacts send an email and SMS asking for help. Her mother lost her job and her father was sick. She passed the pre-nursing board exam in their college,  but she can’t secure her TOR to submit the same to PRC, to complete her pre-board requirements. She owed the university several thousands of pesos, thus, the problem with the TOR.

I do not know the person personally so I asked another SNS buddy,  province mate of the student requesting for assistance, to verify the need. Meantime, since one of my mantra’s is to teach people to catch fish rather than give them dole outs, I advised the student to explore other means, like asking the school to employ her for three months as payment for her debt. The girl followed our advise and called us back after 2 days and gleefully shared that  85% of her debt was taken cared of.  She asked how she can work for me to cover the remaining 15%. But since the need was verified and she followed our advice, I just sent her the money via western union the following day to cover for the  balance.

Social Media has removed the barrier of location and space, and it provided a much wider and bigger door to serve the community. Likewise, it was heartwarming to know that the relationship built in SNS is more than virtual. People can now use SNS more than marketing (even political), and sharing. When it comes to playing a big brother when needed, they do so.

AD: Great looking women’s shoes on sale.