why we help?

If there is one positive note coming out of the tragic events in Haiti earlier this week, it must the solidarity that the rest of the world immediately demonstrated.

Just a few hours after the initial reports of devastation, images of Port-au-Prince-bound firemen and rescue teams in Charles de Gaulle, Schipol, Ezeiza and other airports around the world appeared on our TVs. Even China, a country with no diplomatic ties to the impoverished Caribbean nation, sent help.

Our portraits in social sites were changed to Haitian flags and our Facebook status were replaced by tips on how to donate via text messaging. SoHo boutiques are holding fundraising events and even WyClef got involved.

Although the efforts are still under way, this is likely to be the greatest demonstration of solidarity in the history of natural catastrophes, surpassing the Great Tsunami of 2004 and Katrina in 2005.

Why?

This is the result of at least 2 factors:

1- The accelerated growth of digital media makes generosity both more visible (e.g. there were 1 million Facebook user when the Tsunami hit, vs. 375 million today) and easier (e.g. donating by text message)

2- As social beings, we are wired to help others: when we do, our brain rewards us in a similar ways as when we eat or have sex, two activities critical to the survival of our species.

This is the conclusion of a recent study conducted by a team of neuroscientists from Bethesda, Rio de Janeiro and Geneva, that found that the parts of the brain that light up when we think of donating to charity, are the same as when we think of sex or food.

These 2 observations provide the basis for an optimistic perspective on the future of humankind, but they also help explain the relation between "corporate social responsibility" (the second suggestion when you type "corporate" in google), the growth of digital media and human nature.

To donate $10 to the RedCross, text 'haiti' to 90999, or click here to find other ways to help

Fueling spiritual ADD

Money can't buy you Happiness, but it can buy Joy.

As ad people, we wonder about the value our work brings to society. Are we really helping the world move forward? or just convincing people to buy things they don't need?

Advertising certainly helps improve the world by informing people and fueling competition, which eventually translates into better, more affordable goods for all and creates jobs along the way.

Another way to look at it would suggest that advertising helps fuel spiritual ADD, distracting society from the pursuit of happiness and instead tempting us with the rewards of joy.

A new dress, a new car, a new stereo or a vacation are Joy Fuel: acquisitions that give us a rush of a temporary wellbeing, which disappears as soon as new events unfold or the novelty wears out.

Happiness in the other hand may be a permanent state of higher bliss, but attaining it requires years of spiritual work. Certainly a daunting prospect, and a far less attractive one in a society driven by instant gratification.

In such a world, it is far too easy to be distracted from our pursuit of Happiness and instead fall prey of the quick fix offered by the Joys of Capitalism.

So while advertising isn't any more evil than a hammer or a cup, it can enrich popular culture and our lives just as quickly as it can become the lubricant of our procrastinations, perpetually distracting us from our true purpose in this Life.

Interestingly, research indicates that the elder, precisely the section of society less impressed by brands, novelty and trends, are consistently happier than younger generations.

For more details on this particular evidence, see this Washington Post article.