As of today over 82 million YouTube viewers have seen Kony 2012, the video which aims to make Joseph Kony, militant leader of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, public enemy number one.
The video is a viral phenomenon which makes no secret of targeting social media users -- images of people using Twitter, YouTube and Facebook are woven through the film, particularly as the narrator outlines the call to action. The plan is simple -- create a siren of voices throughout the world, via letters, videos, phone calls and yes, social media, to get our government to take Kony down.
The video possesses the perfect blend of elements needed to turn a good cause into a social explosion: a clear bad guy (Kony abducts children and forces them to become brutal soldiers), an inspiring plan of action and, most importantly, an invitation to find the compassion in our hearts. It goes beyond simply showing a photo of a victimized child or a war-torn land. The film zooms out to show us, literally, our world, inviting viewers to think about how connected Facebook and the Internet has made us. Given the film's record number of views and shares, viewers clearly got the message and took it to their networks.
However, since the wildfire spread of Kony 2012, a backlash has arisen against the film and its supporters. A main complaint is the over-simplification of the issues at stake coupled with a sneer about the supporters' "slacktivism." This derisive label is applied to those who support causes through simple measures, like sharing on social media, putting up posters, starting online petitions and in the case of Kony 2012, ordering an Action Kit.
It is true that volunteering inside a war zone and posting about a war zone on Facebook are two very different things. However, it is also true that the "slacktivist" label is unwarranted. The word implies that Kony 2012 supporters are lazy, and that their actions are not particuarly helpful.
But is posting online about an important issue really "slacking"? If so, what would doing nothing be? Kony 2012 didn't just go viral because it simplified the issues. It appealed to the growing sense of connectedness between human beings that was first made possible by the Internet. It tapped into the common empathy of a group of people all focused on one screen, impelling them to move beyond the solitude of sitting at their computers towards telling everyone they know, and donating.
This desire to act cannot be dismissed as slacktivism. In fact, it is a new and powerful type of activism, all the more so because it combines the efforts of millions of people.
As social media becomes more integral to our lives, the proportion of people performing "small" actions, like sharing a video or status update, or donating $5 through Paypal, will increase. But that's a good thing. Most people are not inclined to help if the tools to do so are not directly in front of them, and frankly, who can blame them? On the whole, we conform to a simple imperative of human nature: we do the best we can with the resources we have available. So rather than railing against those who are moved to use their resources to help others, why not make the resources even more available and more powerful?
Ten years ago, most communities did not have recycling bins in every home, office, and classroom. Therefore, far less material was recycled. And while some scoffed at the idea of lasting change resulting from individual efforts, when we pushed to get recycling bins in more places, we found that most people were happy to make the effort. On their own, they couldn't be bothered to drive down to a facility with bags full of sorted paper, plastic and aluminum. But over time, we made the task of recycling easier, one bin at a time. It is now much more the rule than the exception.
It is neither admirable nor fair to rail against people who seek convenient ways to act. If we did that, we'd also have to condemn people who take advantage of public recycling bins instead of sorting and personally transporting their trash to the proper facility. Rather, it is the responsibility of change makers -- nonprofit professionals, politicians and concerned citizens -- to make it easier for people to take action.
For the same reason, we should not condemn the Kony 2012 supporter for not boarding the next plane to Africa; instead, we should be using technology to make activism more accessible at all levels. Indeed, this is exactly the use of technology we have been working toward. Social media's power lies in its vast reach, and using it we will soon be able to accomplish more with a few mouse clicks than was possible with a small army a hundred years ago.
Ask yourself: have the millions of dollars people have donated to Invisible Children made the world better, or worse? I think you'll find that, while the group is not perfect, it is making progress. The same is true of the millions of people on social networks discussing the cause -- they may not be accomplishing all they would like, but they are making progress.
Kony 2012 will not be the last movement of its kind. The secret is out: people care, and want to do something about issues that matter. It's time to stop viewing social media as an easy way out, and see it for what it is: a new tool for improving the world through emotional and social awareness, with uses still to be discovered.
When we have a common purpose, we will inevitably find solutions.
Follow Evan Bailyn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ineffable111
Greg Damhorst: Clooney, Kony and Why Interfaith Matters
Rabbi Berel Lerman: The Real (Spiritual) Message of Kony 2012
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124558
Here's the truth people. $5 is $5. No matter how it's donated. And going for a long walk with your friends all dressed in pink doesn't provide any more immediate "help" to anyone than taking the time to produce a web video and mass distribute it does. People who participate in charity dinners, bowling, walks, etc. are no more "informed" about their causes than people who retweet or share something on social media.
That being said - people doing what they feel they can do (for whatever reasons) is better than people doing nothing simply because they fear it isn't enough. Not everyone can pack up and leave their lives behind. Not everyone has time to go to a charity dinner, or a walk, etc. So they do what they feel they can. And no one should be denigrated for do SOMETHING - even if it's small.
Independent thinking and thoughtful, knowledgeable actions are more meaningful and create more long lasting impact than the time it takes to jump on the bandwagon and click a button to send money to a cause that one only assesses by viewing something done from the perspective of someone else.
Mom's have been saying it since 'time immemorial': “If (fill in the blank) jumped off a bridge, does that mean you should, too?” Let's all make it a point to make our decisions as thoughtful and helpful to others as we can without 'jumping off cyberspace bridges'!
People are upset about privileged young American whites presuming to tell mature black Africans how to solve their problems, or worse presuming to "solve" them for them. Writer Teju Cole, born in the US to Nigerian parents, raised in Nigeria, and working now in the US, has this to say: "The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening. The banality of evil transmutes into the banality of sentimentality. The world is nothing but a problem to be solved by enthusiasm. This world exists simply to satisfy the needs—including, importantly, the sentimental needs—of white people and Oprah. The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice. It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege."
Some sustained careful thought about these important issues will yield a stronger piece than this glib and shallow take on a crucially important issue.
Fan'd & Fav'd
There are enough free things that we know are helpful that we can all do right now. We don't need emotional YouTube appeals to tell us right from wrong.
Similarly, there needs to be adequate vetting of the claims in videos like Kony2012 before we can conclude that donating $5 to paypal are actually doing any good, or worse, are not actually causing more harm. How do we know that funding the Ugandan army is not causing more violence and harm to innocent people?
If you are looking for and easy way to do good in the world, you don't have to click a donate button for an uncertain cause that uses unproven claims to exploit human emotion. You can look around you, at your children and your neighbors, and find a dozen free, easy things to do, like giving a hug or a kind word, that are proven to make the world a much better place.