Quite frequently we have a new hashtag springing up encouraging us to pray on behalf of someone, something, or someplace. It generally looks like this: #PrayFor_______.

Some of the most recent popular prayer tags are listed here:

• #PrayForSantaRosa
• #PrayForVegas
• #PrayForHouston
• #PrayForPuertoRico
• #PrayForManchester

Most often our digital prayers are called for in the wake of a tragedy and undoubtedly are meant as tools of well-wishing. The problem I see is that these often lack calls to meaningful action. Action in the sense that we are collectively working to further a goal or cause. Showing we care about a cause has now become as simple as hitting a button on our favorite social media app, but if we stop at a retweet or posting the emoji praying hands on our timeline we have done little to help. And I believe far too often the majority of actions do stop right there with the three-second action hitting the retweet button.

Being from California I have been to Las Vegas and California wine country many times, in fact, these are both places I love to visit. In the recent days, my FaceBook news feed has been a virtual not stop loop of GoFundMe pages set up for Santa Rosa fire victims with harrowing tales of escapes from the deadliest wildfire in California history. And the week before that I learned my old neighbor had been at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, luckily she and all her friends made it to safety. Her timeline was a spooky sight, seeing how a “girls trip” went from the standard bikini poolside photos at the MGM Grand to a post saying how her life has now been forever changed.

I am not advocating we stop the #PrayFor movement, as the awareness created brings good, and does provide the opportunity to make a difference. JJ Watt was able to raise over $36 million with his tweets, showing just how powerful of a tool social media can be. However real change occurs through actions beyond our digital prayers. As my friend ends her post “…this tragedy is not the first.” If we want to make a change call your government representatives and urge them to pass laws that can help.

If we want to make a change call your government representatives and urge them to pass laws that can help. Donate to an organization that is fighting for change legislatively. Buy a case of water and drop it off at the local fire station that is collecting supplies for Puerto Rico. Just do something beyond hitting retweet, I know I will be going to Las Vegas when I have the chance to support with my continued tourism as it is the lifeblood of the city.

Update 10/15/17 While watching the football game I saw the following commercial.

It looks like the Las Vegas tourism board feels the same way.