The Internet has done incredible
things for people all over the world.
There are thousands of articles that pull on our heartstrings and really
make us glad the Internet and social media exists. Fundraising campaigns to
help out people who are in need are something that I see all around the Internet.
We see people who are in need of transplants and people who have lost their
house in tragic fires. There are people who can’t afford the important surgery
for a loved pet or even people who are looking to raise money for a charity
they feel strongly about. These people will reach out to websites like
gofundme.com or kickstarter.com to help get a social media presence and reach a
larger audience for donations. These websites allow donations online from
anybody all over the world to help out those in need. It really is an
incredible testament to the human condition. People who have never met are
helping out each other in a time of crisis.
These fundraising websites raise an
important question though. What is the difference between asking for money
online and begging for money on the side of the road? Is it ethical to ask for
money online at all? Where is the line drawn between need and want when it comes
to asking for help?
I’m Facebook friends with people
older and younger than me and I have been starting to notice a trend with
people who have been on their own after college for a year now and are starting
to realize how difficult is it to pay back their student loans. I have seen two
specific examples this week of people who have started a gofundme.com account
to pay off their student loans. Is this ethical? Is it okay to ask for money to
pay off your student loans from strangers?
In this example there is a student,
currently living in Huntington Beach, California where rent is roughly
$1,500/month. The cost of living in California is some of the highest in the
country. The person posts photographs of themselves at various sporting events
and with their new dog often, but has raise over $1,000. Is it okay for
somebody who is seemingly irresponsible with their finances to ask for money to
pay off their student loans? I’m not somebody who is going to make a judgment
on the part of this person. I just know that I could not ask for money when
living well above my means.
It all comes down to an ethical
judgment from both the asker and the doner.
This is another top story that
seems to be popping up all over the internet are people trying to fund their
movies though websites like Kickstarter. Is this okay? Should there be
restrictions on people who can ask for money and for what reason they are
asking? Zac Braff is an actor/director who funded his next movie, Wish I was
Here, through Indiegogo, another fundraising website. He caught a lot of
backlash from the Internet and filmmaking community for this method of funding.
While he isn’t the richest celebrity in Hollywood, he has an estimated net
worth of $22 million. Critics say he could fund the movie on his own, but he
didn’t. Was it okay for a millionaire to ask for money?
Again, I don’t think I would do it, but where can we draw the
line? Are people abusing the system or is this what it was set up for? I guess
that’s up to the donators to decide.
