Nobody can deny how fast the Kony movement spread once it
hit Facebook. One thing that needs to be said is that nothing will be done to
find Kony just because someone in their dorm room "shared" the video.
People feel accomplished when the make their status about Kony. In order to do
really do something to support the movement, people have to reach out to the
American government and United Nations. Many politicians are on Facebook and
other social media sites where they can be reached by the average person. There
is strength in numbers and with the upcoming elections in November politicians
will do anything to gain an edge over other candidates no matter what position
they are running for. This is the perfect time for people to have their voices
heard by those in a position to take action. I feel this is also more affective
than raising money because the millions of dollars raised for various causes
never seems to reach the people who need it. New Orleans still has damage from
hurricane Katrina, Haiti is still devastated from the earthquake that hit, and
many areas of Japan look the same as the weeks after it fell victim to natural
disasters.
Yes once news of Kony hit Facebook it seems like just about everyone knew about it. You said many politicians are on Facebook but sitting in your dorm room sharing a video will not change anything. There is a good chance the message you are try to send could reach a person like that and there would have been no need to leave your dorm room. Although I do agree that this is a good time to have your voice heard.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that even though the Kony Awareness movement has grown, sharing a video will not save a child half a world away. If people want to help they should try to raise some money to donate to a good organization. The other aspect is that after they see the video the viewer feels like they are an activist. I think it is great that the video has gained so much popularity but i think there are better ways to show support than just sharing a video.
ReplyDeleteYes this movement is really moving like a runaway train! There are so many newly interested people that want to do something about this and they are taking to social media to spread the word. Nice post.
ReplyDelete