We all know them. We all hate them. Those men and women standing outside tubes brandishing their beliefs, waving placards boldly in our busy faces and shoving pamphlets in our unwanting grasps. And we never listen; forcing ideas on a community of people with somewhere to go is clearly a bad idea. Despite their sheer aggravation however, no one denies the worth of those opinions. No one screams or shouts back. They just ignore and walk on. Until recently.

We strongly suggest that you watch the video below, created by The Pilion Trust. It focuses on a man who is, quite frankly, as annoying as every other soap-box operator in the country. It also approaches one of the most significant problems in our society: the perception of charity.

One's immediate reaction is one of despair: no one gives a damn about the poor, they don't blink or look back. However, of stronger significance is the demonstration that people actually do care. The shocked responses, the outrage and confusion at the 'Fuck the poor' sign, all suggest that the man in the video - as brave as he is - has ticked a nerve. It shows that it is the perception of charity and its apathetic associations that are the problem, not the carelessness of people. There is something about 'giving' that is shrouded in laziness, in feelings of inability and quite frankly, boredom. It's not a lack of care, its a problem of attitude.

So watch this video and be encouraged by the compassion of the people around you. Just make sure you are ever-so-slightly more productive. Transform a feeling of pity into a desire to change, and do something.

Last night, Britain plunged in to an hour of darkness. The lights of Big Ben were switched off, Windsor Castle's impressive facade faded into the night, and Buckingham Palace became a mere silhouette.

The brightness of central London was extinguished. Or was it?

Yesterday's action was all part of 'Earth Hour', a worldwide movement promoted by the WWF to raise environmental awareness. Ten million people took part in England last year, and at this time we are still waiting for last night's numbers. But we wonder where those millions were, how many people actually noticed the sudden darkness to surround them, and how many knew what it was for?

Worldwide movements such as Earth Hour are incredibly beneficial to charities and social action groups for raising awareness of their causes. Without them, their plights would be kept in near total darkness (no pun intended). But we wonder whether enough is being done to promote these movements. Newspapers certainly reported that 'Britons are being asked to turn their lights off', but Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have all been pretty clear of signs that the British actually did. We ask, therefore, why are the press so involved, but social media so quiet?

Social media has an incredible ability to make people do things. It doesn't just indiscriminately 'speak to' people, as the press does. It includes them, invites them to take part. Social media is personal. The recent 'no makeup selfie' has been remarkable in that respect, the first truly charitable social media revolution. Its strength lies in two facets: 1. People can actually get involved and 2. They are named and shamed if they do not. It is peer pressure at its best, blackmailing people to do good and raise £8 million + in the process. It becomes clear that people must have a personal reason to get involved. Even if it is as simple as not being publicly embarrassed for not taking a photo of themselves.

So when one looks to Earth Hour, or Water Day which quietly sailed past last week, one is left wondering when the world will realise that people only learn so much when they watch. It's when they do that things happen.