insomniasexx - this article reminded me of your post about the social media response to the Paris attacks. I think it sums it up nicely.
"Meme Empathy" such as #prayforparis, #Jesuischarlie etc, are basically the 21st century non denominational way of saying "I'm praying for you".
It's just doing nothing while making yourself feel better. A perfect solution for the average human.