‘KONY’ CRAZE

“Humanities greatest desire is to belong and connect, we share what we love, and this reminds us of what we all have in common. This connection is changing the way the world works.”

 Sounds familiar? I’d say so.

 This introduction to my first official post was extracted from a unique foreword in itself: The introduction to the viral phenomenon, the KONY 2012 video, narrated by activist and co founder of the ‘Invisible Children Corporation’, Jackson Russell.

 Posted on ‘Vimeo‘ on February 20, the remarkable short film accumulated 13.5 million views; however it wasn’t until 12 noon on the 5^th of March that the World was going to experience one of the greatest social media revolutions known to man. With a record breaking 81,853,498 views (as of 18/ 3/2012), and Over 20,000 “Kony”-related videos uploaded in the past week, YouTube became the key driving force for the KONY 2012 campaign, where individuals are strongly encouraged to “Watch it. Share it. Stop at nothing”, as stated by Russell.

(Graph source: ORC Social: March 8, 2012 | Jenny Verbitsky, KONY 2012 Goes Viral in Record Time Thanks to YouTube, Twitter)

 The film indoctrinates one aim; ‘Make Kony Famous’, in the hope of bringing the leader of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army to his end through creating awareness of his excruciatingly unjust doings through the use of social media. One integral message is also conveyed; that everyone has the capacity and the influence to make the world a far better place. By sharing or re blogging the video this awareness needed to Stop Joseph Kony is not only being established but also reinforced.

 With modern technology and social networking at our fingertips, any issue can be made global, where the presentation of KONY 2012 on YouTube has been that of an influential, somewhat life changing message set to trigger that little social activist within us all. KONY 2012 has managed to ‘get the ball rolling’ in the move towards a more socially and politically just World, where by achieving the campaigns key objective, to capture the infamous Kony, mankind is making this desired transition.

 After viewing the video and exercising that social activist within, I feel inspired to leave you with one message, as Russell would say, “Watch the film. Sign the pledge. Join the revolution”

References;

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
• http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
• http://vimeo.com/37119711
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFg0tHAEmy4
• http://orcsocialbuzz.com/2012/03/08/kony-2012-goes-viral-in-record-time-thanks-to-youtube-twitter/

(Quick Edit: 3/4/12)