Amanda Sales
Professor Ingram
English 101
14 September 2015
Liking Isn’t Helping
Not only is it used for keeping in touch; social media is frequently used in order to share images and raise awareness as well. However, many viewers only share or like the image without actually doing anything beneficial to the cause. Two different children with similar scenarios are displayed in the public service announcement. One child is lying on a hospital bed missing a limb. Beside him is another bed as well. The background does not appear to be like the hospitals in America, but those that we see in underprivileged nations. The other child appears to be in the middle of a flood. She is holding on to a wooden plank, using it for balance, or maybe just while she catches her breath. This child appears to be living in third world conditions as well, with the “not so average” neighborhood in her background. Surrounding both children are various thumbs up hands symbolizing the likes and shares on social media sites.
The ad, “Liking Isn’t Helping,” is effective because it brings attention to the fact that more has to be done. The image has a variety of key components, which cause it to be persuasive. The key components consist of the background, the children as the focus of the images, the black and white filter, and the repetition of the thumbs up hands.
In the background of both images third world conditions are apparent to the viewer. The child missing a limb appears to be in pain while nothing is being done to help, and the hospital background does not seem to be as good as the ones in the United States. Also, the girl caught in the flood has no one there to help her and the area does not seem suitable for a flood. If there were at least sewer drains on the street, maybe she would not be in this condition. These third world conditions cause the audience to feel bad for the child in the image. Many who live in the United States cannot relate to the conditions of the children in the image. The majority of the population in the United States has ready access to whatever they need. Clean water, good hospitals, and assistance to the less privileged are available to all in the United States. The United States government offers financial aid to those that qualify and there are various organizations that offer shelter and assistance in getting a job to those in need. This causes guilt amongst the audience because they have so many resources readily available at their fingertips, yet nothing is done to help.
The focus of both images is the child in need. Just the fact that the image involves a child is a major component. When people see a child in need their first instinct is to help. In the United States there are many laws that protect children’s rights and that ensure safety to them. Even when a child has no parents there are a variety of places for them to stay and social services works to get them into good homes. This ad is particularly effective on female viewers because of their maternal instinct. It may even cause some to want to adopt children in poverty stricken regions in order to help them out and give them a better lifestyle.
The black and white filter adds seriousness to the image. With black and white one is forced to focus on the main subject. One is not going to wander off and notice what someone in the background is wearing or what color the bed spread or tile is. There are no other colors that could draw your attention away from the main subject - helping people who live in other nations. Black and white filter also adds shadows to the image creating a melancholic feeling, causing the audience to feel guilty as well. It emphasizes the sad faces on the children and the poor conditions the children are subject to.
The repetition of the thumbs up in the image symbolizes the many likes and shares these types of images receive. Various people are surrounding these two children yet nothing is being done to help. The people that like the images know that there are more people going through similar circumstances but do nothing about it. Raising awareness is necessary, but if all people do is raise awareness and not actually do anything helpful such as send money or resources then all the awareness raised would have been in vain.
As one can see, “Liking Isn’t Helping” is a very effective ad. It has a variety of components such as background, the main subject in the image, filter and repetition. Put together, all these components cause the audience to feel a certain way towards the ad. In this case, that feeling may be guilt or wanting to help – which is the intention. Maybe with more ads like this one people will see that more has to be done than just liking or sharing an image such as donating money or creating fundraisers to help.

Work Cited
"Liking Isn't Helping." ViralNova. ViralNova.com, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.