Whenever a tragedy occurs, social media becomes a fundamental tool for informing, asking for help, and organizing donations. But a criticism that is repeated with increasing force also emerges: to what extent are some influencers helping, and when are they simply taking advantage of the situation to get views?
After the earthquake that struck Colombia, posts began circulating from content creators showing the emergency, sharing campaigns, and even promoting different initiatives. And although many of these actions can help amplify the call for aid, questions also arose about those who seem more concerned with likes, views, or advertising than with the people affected.
Amid this discussion, Colombian influencer and presenter Mabel Cartagena called on her colleagues to ensure that help did not remain only on social media.
“It’s lovely and wonderful that we post aid, donation content, and everything, but also ask them to donate”, she said, especially pointing to those with large audiences and resources to contribute.
Her message was even more direct:
“You have to put your hand in your pocket”.
The debate once again raised an uncomfortable question for the social media era: when a tragedy occurs, is using a huge audience to get views and make content helping, taking advantage of the situation, or can both things coexist?