• When Rwiti Bhattacharya stepped into her teens, her b'day bash wasn't a pink-themed affair with 1D tracks. The Class VIII student at DPS Ruby Park decided to gift rather than get while spending the day with underprivileged kids.

• Swaha Ghosh, a Class III student at La Martiniere for Girls, had an entire album of pictures to show her classmates after her eighth birthday. They were of the new friends she had made at an orphanage on her special day.

• Government officer Mahua Das's idea of celebrating four-year-old son Arushmit's birthday is to organise a dinner for him in the company of visually-impaired children.

Many Calcuttans, especially young people, are sharing and celebrating their special days with the less privileged, the trend even spawning a 4,000-strong Facebook forum that organises such visits.

Abhishek Lakkar, an entrepreneur, wanted to distribute gifts among children of an orphanage but didn't know how to go about it. Sunita Jain, a resident of Ballygunge Circular Road, wanted to spend Christmas bringing a smile to the faces of senior citizens but couldn't find a home for the elderly that she could visit.

While surfing the Web for information, homemaker Sunita came across a Facebook group that helped her locate an old-age home in Maniktala that she could visit with food and gifts. She plans to relive the joy of sharing and giving on her husband's 44th birthday. This time, it will be at an orphanage.

On October 5, the gang of friends behind the Facebook group Spreading Smiles pooled their resources to give 26 children from a shelter in Salt Lake a taste of McDonald's. It was the first time the kids had had a burger.

Scores of parents who have encouraged their children to celebrate through charity said the idea of doing so came from their wards. Consultant psychiatrist Jai Ranjan Ram sees nothing unusual in it, although it might seem from a distance that parents are the driving force behind such initiatives.

According to Ram, children have become more aware about "issues of the world", thanks to schooling going beyond textbooks, the proliferation of interactive clubs and access to the almighty Internet. "It is a healthy trend that kids want to do their bit for society from an early age. Students are more exposed to real problems," he said.

Devleena Guha Ghosh, the mother of Class III student Swaha said she was glad her daughter chose to do something other than indulging herself on her birthday. "Swaha announced loud and clear that she wanted to spend her eighth birthday with kids at an orphanage. She and her friends had apparently been discussing this in school. Her school encourages sharing with the less fortunate. So, this October 6, Swaha spent time with kids at an orphanage in Rajarhat rather than go for the usual cake-and-party fare,"

The social media halo that comes with doing a good turn has played its part. Fulfilment in the age of Facebook and Twitter and Instagram also means letting the world know what you have done.

Psychiatrist Ram sees "a narcissistic trend" at play but stops short of being critical of the trend of showing what you do. "Everybody is seeking approval," he said.

Swapan Pramanik, a retired professor of sociology at Calcutta University, calls it a "hunger for likes".

"This trend (of celebrating by sharing) may be beneficial for those in need, but for many it is born out of a wish for approval. Social media has become very important to us. Whatever we do, even charity, ultimately we are hungry for likes."

Involvement in social issues also means ticking a box that matters in the CV. Several universities give additional weightage to applicants who can establish involvement in social causes. "Social service is now an important part of the curriculum," psychiatrist Ram said.

For some, of course, the cause is cathartic. Vishal Goyal, a 30-year-old resident of Kankurgachhi, floated Spreading Smiles with some friends in July 2014 while battling a personal crisis. "I was going through a bad patch after my father's death. That is when I decided to get over my grief by spreading happiness," he recalled.

While Spreading Smiles had 4,176 members at last count, Vishal's core group comprises five friends who often pool their resources to give underprivileged children and senior citizens a little joy. "We spend quality time with them, tell them stories, give them gifts and also take them to the cinema. Just a few days ago, we took some children to watch a film. Many people approach us for ideas or want us to organise visits for them on their special days," Vishal said.

Spreading Smiles maintains a list of orphanages and old-age homes that members of the forum have visited before or have been recommended. Vishal does most of the running around that is required to arrange a visit. "If I plan a big in-house visit, I do the initial work and then invite others to join in. There is no monetary transaction involved," he said.

Rwiti, who celebrated her birthday with kids in an orphanage, is happier for the experience.

"It was one of the most fulfilling birthdays Rwiti has had. She interacted with the kids and gave them gifts. In this way, she imbibed the joy of sharing. We had always wanted to do something different on her birthday. We did a lot of searching and asking around before visiting this place," mother Madhumita said.

Have you celebrated a special occasion with a good deed? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com