I can’t really call myself a hippie. Not to say I don’t have my moments — I’m not entirely adverse to tie-dye, and I have an inexplicable attraction to dreadlocks. Generally speaking, however, you probably won’t catch me staging a protest by living in a tree or ceremonially burning my underwear to combat the subjugation of women.

So what is it about being a hippie that seems to have half of the campus sporting bedazzled peace-sign shirts and chanting slogans like “Make love, not war”? Do those people actually believe anything that they’re saying, or are they mimicking what Urban Outfitters and Hippie Gypsy has defined as “trendy” and “forward thinking?”

Just because you have a shirt that says screams “GO GREEN” in bold lettering doesn’t mean that no one will judge you when you throw your once-used Starbucks cup full of oh-so-hippie green tea in the trash rather than the recycling.

Nor will everyone turn a blind eye when you proclaim that you bought your Product Red iPod because you “like, thought the color was so cute.”

And if you are going to wear something that says “Save Darfur” while being unaware where Darfur actually is — or that it is even a location in the first place — you should be prepared for some very, very harsh scrutiny.

Don’t kid yourself — you aren’t a better person because you bought a T-shirt.

Now, this isn’t to say that the ideals behind Product Red and Save Darfur aren’t noble. Both campaigns have raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities designed to combat these global issues. There’s a reason popular products are designed with this in mind. Manufacturers know that consumers who are totally unaware of the good cause behind them will still buy the products, thus generating more funding than simply receiving monetary donations.

So the girl who bought her “so cute” bright-red iPod from Best Buy also inadvertently donated to the campaign to fight the AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. Who knew!

Noble cause or not, without a general understanding of what these product campaigns are actually supporting, a good portion of the message is lost in translation. Yes, the income creates much needed funding, but without an understanding of the problem that needs the funding in the first place, how can awareness be fostered? Without awareness, how can these daunting global issues truly be tackled?

To be fair, not everyone is guilty. There are those who have a genuine understanding of the issues that product campaigns are attempting to support. It is too bad, however, that they are usually the minority.

So, next time you buy something from Product Red or carry a bag with a screen-printed recycling symbol, practice what you preach. Take some advice from your fashion sense. Maybe locate a recycling bin instead.

Reach Karen at karen.hewell@asu.edu.