People are increasingly willing to pay real money for virtual gifts, such as the $1 gifts available on Facebook. Rather than actually buy your significant other a rose or a teddy bear, you can spend some of your hard-earned money to buy your love a little icon of the item instead.

You can’t smell the rose or hug the teddy bear, but that doesn’t seem to matter for the millions of people who invest in these every day. Since introducing the gifts, Facebook has sold over 24 million of them. And there are no real limits to what you can find. Clothing, food, alcoholic beverages and cosmetics are only a few of the options you have to choose from.

Some people see this as a more cost-effective means to giving family and friends gifts than going out and purchasing the real deal. It certainly may be a more green way to give your loved ones a Christmas gift this year. Think about it: this way you aren’t using boxes, wrapping paper or tape. Not to mention, sending a gift that may potentially end up in a landfill within a couple of years.

Despite this, I personally have never understood the appeal of the Facebook gifts or anything like them. I can’t understand why you can go to a website such as Hallmark’s and send a virtual greeting card for free, yet you can’t give a friend a virtual pint of beer without paying for it. This just seems to reek of a profit-grab by Facebook. I certainly have no problem if you want to send a friend a cute little icon to show you’re thinking of them. I do take issue if someone like a significant other is paying for it and considers this a worthy substitution for a real rose or bottle of wine on a special occasion.

» CNN Technology