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| Photo Reference 1 |
Although there is no blog post due for this week, I wanted to bring attention to something that has a direct connection to what we are learning in ALES 204. As most of you have probably seen, the Kony 2012 campaign has blown up over all forms of social media. This post is not meant to promote or defame the campaign; my sole intention is to mention how social media has been used in such an extraordinary way.
For those of you who don't know, the Kony 2012 campaign's mission is to make everyone aware of Joseph Kony - a Ugandan warlord and leader of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Invisible children, the organization who created this campaign, wanted the mass population to support their cause so that the US will continue to keep troops in Uganda and help their government capture Joseph Kony. Despite your position on the organization and their cause, there's one thing that is difficult to refute: the large scale use of social media to connect the youth and raise awareness.
A few weeks ago I'm sure most people my age were not aware of Kony or the organization Invisible Children. However, through Facebook and Twitter, the campaign's video was broadcast worldwide and shared numerous times. This was the intent of Invisible Children. They wanted to connect with the youth of the world and social media was the best platform for them to do this. This is exactly what we're learning in ALES 204. We have used social media for many purposes and we have discussed the scale at which information can be shared. We have also discussed how fast information can be shared. Whether it's sharing your research about a new virus strain or raising awareness of a Ugandan warlord, social media provides an extremely efficient vehicle to reach mass audiences.
My friend Brenda makes a very good point in her blog. She mentions that Twitter enables people to share their passions worldwide. This is exactly what the Invisible Children organization intended to do. Brenda also mentions how hashtags are a great way to group information. Perhaps someone watched the Kony 2012 video and wanted to see what more people were saying about the cause. They could search #Kony2012, #InvisibleChildren or #JosephKony and see much more information to become more informed. I think the use of social media in this campaign was well thought out and very successful. I have added the video here, however before you decide to donate I highly encourage you to look into the cause more and educate yourself!
Photo References:
1. Kony 2012 Poster [Digital Image]. 2012. Retrieved on March 19, 2012, from http://www.sabotagetimes.com/life/kony-2012-why-im-opposed-to-the-campaign/
