Australian Bushfires: Raising awareness on social media makes less of an impact than donating

Swiping through my Instagram stories, I came across dozens of shared posts raising awareness for the bushfires blazing through Australia. Their content ranges from pictures of koalas scathed from the flames to promoting hashtags like #prayforaustralia. 

According to the New York Times, the Australian bushfires have been blazing for three months. Millions of acres have been burned, at least 29 people have lost their lives, hundreds of millions of animals have been affected and more than 2,500 homes have been destroyed. 

While we commented sad face emojis, the New York Times stated that a United-States-sized cloud of smoke was omitted from the fires, which has since circled the globe. These fires in southern Australia have emitted as much carbon dioxide as the entire continent produces in eight months of the year, leaving discolored skies and hazardous breathing conditions. While people on social media are worried about self-image, they should be worried about self-preservation too. 

To help, social media has been flooding over the last month with hashtags and posts raising awareness and begging people to donate. While this is great, many people continue to share and not actually donate, which is what really makes a difference. 

While it’s great to use social media for a good cause, it isn’t helping those tormented koalas.

Some accounts are even going as far as to post images of the fire with text saying things like “One follow equals $10 donated,” without even showing proof of a donation. These people are just using the popularity of the bushfires and mask of being a good samaritan to gain followers, likes and comments. 

While the heat has died down on social media, the fires continue to blaze in Australia, proving that many concerned posts were probably just a grab at more followers. Fire season isn’t over yet, as it typically lasts until the end of February. 

To help, you can donate to organizations such as the Australian Red Cross, NSW Rural Fire Service, GIVIT and more. You can make a real difference by actually donating, not just posting on social media to seek a charitable self-image.