I have an irrational hatred for commercials.

And it's not just because commercials are usually long, boring, and interrupting my "Game of Thrones" TV time (though these are all valid explanations), but because of those other commercials; the ones that make you wonder who strategically placed onions in hidden places around the room. Whether it's a Budweiser ad portraying the relationship between a horse and its owner, UNICEF portraying the hardships of children in foreign countries, or even the promotion of adopting stray pets from a local shelter to give them the home they deserve, scheduled breaks from your binge-watching can bring out some raw emotions. I'm in the middle of immersing myself in a high-stakes fantasy world of made-up jargon and CGI fight sequences when I'm suddenly ripped back into the reality of real-life horrors, of which there is no magical spell to remedy.

One might refer to this sensation as First World Guilt, where we feel self-reproach and condemnation for what we have, ashamed to possess so much in our society, simply by being born it it, than others in Third World countries who do not. You might even find yourself stricken with the feeling more often now, having been aware of the complication, than you were beforehand. The next time we complain about how new shoes hurt while breaking them in, we have to remember others don't even have the luxury of proper footwear, if any at all, to handle actually harsh terrain they must travel every day for food and water. The same goes for grumbling about stepping on something wet while wearing socks, or that split-second disappointment some of us feel to see another person wearing the same outfit as you walking down the street.

Growing up in a very sympathetic household with extremely empathetic individuals(not going to mention you, Mom, don't worry), I was raised becoming consciously aware from a young age that I had what others did not. I was conscientious when my parents and I decided to trick-or-treat for UNICEF one year, asking for a dollar in donation to the charity instead of free candy. Now, I look back and smile on such an impactful event that I can use as an example for future efforts.

I didn't think it was such a hot idea at the time.

Then and there, I was always questioning whether or not any of my actions would be "worth it". There I was, just entering middle school, wondering if my sacrificing an opportunity to receive FREE FOOD(!!!) would be beneficial to an organization that I didn't know, helping people I would never meet. This dilemma, the unfortunate reality of never seeing where our donation dollars go, is ultimately one of the biggest dividers standing between most American people and the decision to fork over money to a greater good. After all, what with the images of pained puppies and crying children in soiled clothes constantly flooding the media, it's not like we aren't clear on what the situation is; in fact, it's quite the opposite.

The constant barrage of videos showing the young in need and animals abused, while I agree is hugely advantageous to the charitable community, can desensitize some viewers to the cause. As much as it hurts to relate, I've heard it personally said that these commercials are:

"...always on! I just want to watch my show, not look at poor people."

"I know people are hurting! People are hurting everywhere, and my giving twenty bucks isn't going to save every African kid anyway,"

Unfortunately, before television and the Internet became mainstream components of our culture, the majority of the American populace knew very little of foreign affairs, and paid little attention to what happened outside their borders. As such, issues of famine, starvation, and widespread war were known, but not commonly addressed. Nowadays, the information of newly-released events of horrific magnitude seem to be released daily, and can become quite draining after some time. As a result, people are forced to deal with the problem in one of two ways:

1.) Over-empathize with every single report, becoming affected by the mass tragedies of the Digital Age, and risk being completely overwhelmed with the seemingly endless supply of "bad news" circulating while having little to no impact on it. Face it: If you donated every dollar you had to every charity petitioning on TV, you'd be broke in a matter of moments. Of course, I'm not proposing we all collectively throw our hands in the air and accept we've done all we can do, and instead propose we:

2.) Provide a healthy balance between embracing empathy towards charitable efforts and recognizing what you have versus what others don't. To simplify, when I was younger, my parents would insist on my finishing an entire plate of dinner because "starving kids in Africa can't".

I often wondered how my finishing a full dinner helped Africa in any way, but I see the logic of it all years later.

By appreciating what we have, instead of pining for what we don't, we can better mold our society into those who help WHEN they can, not doing so when we cannot afford to keep ourselves primed, nor doing so solely for the social media praise(as some, unfortunately, often do). Perform good acts because they are good acts, not because someone will claim you as a good person. Take pleasure in what you have, but remember that someone else doesn't. First World problems can be arrogant and prideful, but don't let that mean that we can't openly state our own issues without feeling guilty. A side affect of First World Guilt is that, in comparison, none of our personal, mundane issues are vitally important in the wake of survivors requiring help following Hurricane Katrina.

As a little tip for the next time a situation arises that you feel First World Guilt, always remember a simple phrase in context of a host when treating guests to their home:

"As a rule, help others when they need it...but do not forget to help yourself."