By Dylan Bradley/ne news editor
Internet trends should be useful and shine the spotlight on people doing good things, not stupid things. Recently, I watched a YouTube video by TrueStoryASA that challenged “useless” Internet trends.
Admittedly, I get laughs out of idiotic Internet trends every time, and I always come back for the “fail” reel.
However, this particular video challenged viewers to do something different: Make the homeless smile. That is the trend. No planking, duck-facing, Harlem Shaking, twerking or guessing what the heck the fox said.
In a series of video clips, viewers watch two vloggers give away old clothes and bananas to homeless people in their immediate area. In a second video called “Make the homeless smile – worldwide,” viewers inspired by the original video have sent in clips of themselves making homeless people smile. Clothes, food, shoes and goodwill are given away freely around the world.
Some people are shown building small kits containing supplies like socks and toothbrushes, then passing them out in the streets. Others are just single acts of generosity, like giving away a pizza.
This is something I can get behind. Make Internet trends useful. Don’t do community service in the allotted time or in soup-line fashion. Give directly to the people who need someone to make a little sacrifice to get by. People can tithe to their religion, but they should also tithe to society.
This trend will not make someone want to stand at a table and dish up some help to those who could stand in line. That’s not what this is about.
This is about making a homeless person smile instead of twerking on the side of a city bus. Make a homeless person smile instead of planking on a park bench or Harlem Shaking off of a table.
My favorite part of this new trend?
Unless you completely lack situational awareness, no one can fail at it — unlike planking, which can result in injury, or duck face, which is a trend because it is a fail. The Harlem Shake and twerking? Both useless.
Follow the basic rules of safety, such as don’t go alone, go during the day and avoid secluded areas. No fires, injury or mayhem will result.
Join in the best Internet trend of the decade and give something back to society.
