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If you ’re on Facebook — and a ridiculous number of hoi polloi are — then you ’ve probably seen friends of yours changing their profile pictures to toon over the retiring week or two . Maybe you ’ve done it yourself , in reception to a forwarded Es - campaign to aid end child abuse .
The apparent motion ostensibly began with aFacebookgroup page titled " drive to End fierceness Against Children – Childhood Cartoon Faces , " which asked supporters to change their profile picture to cartoons . " Until Monday ( Dec. 6 ) , there should be no human faces on Facebook but an intrusion of memories . This is for eliminating fierceness against child . "
masses often enter in these campaigns because it is an effortless and monetary value - free agency to show backup for a causa . The stated finish is to raise cognizance of child abuse , though there ’s no evidence that that anyone who was unaware of tiddler abuse before the cause is now better inform about the problem because one or more of their Facebook friends was represent by a cartoon character .
This is of track not the first drive in which Facebook user were asked to show their support for a good cause . In June of last year , Facebook and Twitter user were askedto colour their ikon or avatar greenin symbolic backing of anti - government protesters in Iran . Hundreds of grand of people did so , though the effort petered out and the campaign provide little or no benefit to the protester .
Another campaign recently inquire distaff user to make indicatory Facebook update that begin with , " I wish it … " and end with a localisation ( on the story , on the kitchen table , in the back seat , etc . ) . The location bespeak where women like to leave their purses or bag ( instead of their preferred locations for sex ) , and was supposed to somehow raise cognizance of breast Cancer the Crab .
The Facebook cartoon campaign took a ominous tour when a hearsay spread ( ironically via Facebook ) that a radical of pedophile was really behind the movement , and the avatars were being used to tempt tike into intimate abuse . One concerned char warned others on the grouping ’s page : " ATTENTION : the mathematical group ask everyone to change their profile pic to a cartoon reference is in reality a group of pedophiles . Their [ sic ] doing it bacause [ sic ] fry will accept their Quaker request faster if they see a cartoon picture . It has nothing to do with any tyke charities . IT ’S ON TONIGHTS word . replicate & glue this on your status - Let everyone know . Change your motion picture back to what it was ASAP . "
There is of course no grounds or accuracy behind the story ; the pedophile rumor are merely a new incarnation of the " strange danger " alarmist chain e - mail admonition that have circulated for yr .
Though the campaign wo n’t prevent child abuse directly , it may have some small collateral effect . Somechild protagonism group have reportedincreased traffic to their connection site , and one organization , The Child Abuse Prevention Association , claims to have received about $ 1,200 in small donations of late . While all contribution are appreciated , clearly very few of the over 150,000 people who participated in the Facebook cartoon event ( either by changing their visibility paradigm or by endorsing the crusade ) donate any money . If the military campaign had asked Facebook user to donate one dollar ( rather of tweaking a visibility impression ) , child advocacy governing body could have likely raised at least a poop of a million dollar sign .
The mundane true statement is that millions of Facebook users changing their picture will have no effect on children ( though the packaging surrounding the effect may bring in a few extra dollar ) . It wo n’t help forbid kid abuse , but nor will it increase the risk of child vilification . It ’s just another WWW - based activist fad movement to keep people worry until the next one come along .
Benjamin Radford is finagle editor in chief ofSkeptical Inquirerscience cartridge clip and wrote about activistic medium scares in his bookMedia Mythmakers : How Journalists , Activists , and Advertisers Mislead Us . His Web site is www.RadfordBooks.com .
