Did you know the average Singaporean spends 12.5 hours online, with a massive part of this on social media?
What if we took some of the #OOTD time and used it to do something for someone in need? Helping an old woman to cross the road would probably not take more than 20 minutes. Buying your friend a kopi and listening to his/her problems could, perhaps, take half an hour, but it’s a chance to cheer someone up for a whole day, and that act of kindness could be remembered long thereafter.
What if we all chipped in just a little of that 12.5 hours to do something kind?
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That’s exactly what these personalities (many of whom are easily recognised), are doing for #OneKindDay – a movement that aims to remake our social media platforms with kind acts and gracious offers of help.
Jam session with Jack and Rai
Take Jack and Rai, for instance. The musical duo want to show the same kindness that helped them get to where they are today.
“When we first started as a musical duo in 2002, we got a lot of help from our friends at Wala Wala Cafe Bar. They gave our music a chance in the form of a quiet Sunday gig, which we still play at till today,” the duo said on their Facebook page. Which is why the duo are offering a jam session with budding musicians at their studio, G77+.
Mommy’s workout with Kelly Latimer
Kelly Latimer, host and fitness enthusiast, feels that kindness does not necessarily have to be a big gesture.
“It should come from the heart: show a little love…make someone happy,” she says. For her part, Kelly will be looking for a new mama – one who hasn’t had the chance to train in a while to join her for a training session at Tanjong Pagar’s ufitclinic, alongside physiotherapist Declan Halpin.
“You, too, can do your bit and volunteer an act of kindness,” she adds.
Jiezhen’s kopi kindness
As for Jiezhen, she grew up in an environment where kindness was often exhibited, though she didn’t know why at the time.
“When I was growing up, my mom would always buy cold drinks and snacks for any worker/plumber/electrician who was doing work in our home and I didn’t quite know why.“
Older and wiser, she now understands that her mother bought those drinks because everyone wants to be appreciated for the hard work they do.
“I was inspired to take a page out of her book and to … get some iced coffee for the nice people who were working on an incredibly hot day to help us make our dream home a reality,” Jiezhen said.
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That’s not all. Jiezhen’s act of kindness will be soon followed by tri-athlete Cheryl Tay, lawyer Josephus Tan, presenter Sara-Ann Krishnamoorthy and others. All of them will be posting their offers of kindness on social media for #OneKindDay.
At Singapore Kindness Movement, we believe that social media is good for more than just memes and viral videos. With thousands of friends and millions of posts, you never know who might urgently need some of the help that only you alone can give. Instead of just liking and scrolling down your feed, why not post your own offer of help for a friend in need? It’s simple, just be a friend in deed. And if you want to share your story with us, hashtag it #OneKindDay.