Virtual gift giving

I was thinking about Facebook...how you can purchase a virtual gift for a dollar. It seems a waste of money at first glance because in physicality you are buying a tick size memory somewhere on Facebook's server that says you gave this gift to this person. Ok in addition you are buying the miniscule percentage of time and effort from whomever created the clipart (that might be 1/2785 from a total of 3 hours!)...but then it hits me...beyond the cliche that what you're doing is buying an idea of a four leaf clover or a teddy bear, what you're purchasing is a symbol.

The fact that you thought about your friend, and stopped to post a virtual gift on their profile is a symbol of your friendship, well wishes or sense of humor. In the age where time is an ever expensive commodity, the time and effort it takes you to pick out the right virtual gift, write a short message, purchase and send it is something.