Showing public support for a charity on social media makes people less likely to give an actual monetary donation, a new study from the University of British Columbia has found.

Researchers say while people are quick to give a ‘like’ on Facebook to a charity, they’re not as quick to take out their wallet and make a donation.

The ‘slacktivism’ phenomenon – showing public support for a cause via social media without actually contributing time or resources -- could result in fewer donations.

“Charities incorrectly assume that connecting with people through social media always leads to more meaningful support,” said Sauder PhD student Kirk Kristofferson.

The study adds fuel to recent arguments that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are turning people into ‘slacktivists’ by making it easy for them to align themselves with a cause – without actually committing any resources to support it.

Pete Bombaci of Movember Canada admits there are some men who grow moustaches without actually signing up for their campaigns.

Bombaci told CTV News while it’s good that those moustaches are generating conversations about men’s health, the organization encourages men to sign up and be a more active part of the charitable drive.

“When we get men to register on movember.com, grow a moustache for 30 days and have those conversations, it’s something completely different than a passive action like liking or following,” he said.

“Our Mo Bros are active in creating a campaigning for the entire 30 days and inspiring their friends and colleagues for the journey they’re on.”

To conduct the UBC study, students were asked to engage in an initial act of free support for a cause or charity – things like joining a Facebook group, accepting a poppy, pin or signing a petition.

Participants were then asked to donate money or volunteer for the organization.

Researchers found that that the more public the token show of endorsement, the less likely participants are to provide meaningful support later on.

However, if participants were provided with the chance to express token support more privately, such as confidentially signing a petition, they were more likely to donate time or money later on.

“If charities run public token campaigns under the belief that they lead to meaningful support, they may be sacrificing their precious resources in vain,” Kristofferson said. “If the goal is to generate real support, public-facing social media campaigns may be a mistake.”

The findings will be published in a forthcoming Journal of Consumer Research article.

UNICEF Sweden launched a campaign this year called ‘Likes don’t Save Lives,’ stressing that organizations need cash – not clicks – to carry out their goals.

Watch CTV News at Six for a full report from Shannon Paterson