Today is a national day of … (fill in the gap). Make sure that your friends know that you know and care. Otherwise it looks like you don’t and that’s not on.

Friends on Facebook and Twitter pin ribbons, logos and slogans to their profile pictures. Employers on LinkedIn ‘support’ the day by mentioning it and endless hashtags appear on just about everything.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that all these are good and worthy causes. But what do these days do? Raise awareness? Change people’s behaviour? Improve life as we know it? Most people will forget all about the cause before a new one is introduced.

I am not against raising awareness and people talking about a serious problem. But I can’t be the only one who finds the number of ‘days’ little bit ridiculous (or at least funny). It all seems about appearances.

Every day is a day of something, whether international, world or national. It’s hard to keep a track of the causes and issues. I feel like we are drowning in it. And goodness forbid if you miss a day that your fiends support! No ribbon? No hashtag? What do you mean you haven’t signed the petition? Well, perhaps we should re-evaluate our friendship.
(A bit like chain letters really…)

Recently I was telling my husband about looking for something to put on a company LinkedIn profile. The day was worth mentioning (which ones aren’t?) and everybody was frantically trying to be seen as a supporter. My husband let me finish my tirade and then said, ‘who sees these things?’. ‘Not sure,’ I said, ‘there is so much noise on social media that it gets lost within seconds.’ He just did his ‘so there you go’ face. Case dismissed.

And that’s what it comes down to. Who sees these things? And more importantly, who makes up all these days? Don’t quote me on it, but I am getting the impression that the whole idea of ‘days’ is a brilliant exercise in social media’s self promotion. I feel like I should be checking internet every day if I don’t want to be the odd one out.

I am doing the best I can. I help where I can. I listen when someone needs me to (although I’d much rather talk). I just think that we should all do the same. I have come to a decision. I am announcing a World Day of Being Good. Honour it publicly or in private. Every day.

No logo required.