Wanted: KONY 2012..A Social Media Campaign

Joseph Kony, rebel African warlord, is spreading across social media outlets. His name is written as if it’s a part of a presidential campaign: KONY 2012. The sudden spark of popularity stems from an organization founded in 2003 called Invisible Children. It was created on two strong passions of filmmaking and human rights. Invisible Children plans to bring Joseph Kony down and free the children in his rebel army by using one powerful tool: social media.

Social media is changing today’s world. People care about what’s trending on twitter, liked on Facebook, viewed on YouTube and shared on LinkedIn. There’s real power when one can master them. In Jason Russell of Invisible Children’s case, he used a YouTube video to give fuel to his message. Now, everyone’s buzzing about his fight to make Joseph Kony famous and save the lives of children in Africa.
Jason stated in his YouTube video that “humanity’s greatest desire is to belong and connect” – and there’s some truth to that. That’s why, according to Mashable, Facebook alone passed 800 million users in 2011. Jason calls his video and request for support a “social experiment” – and by its popularity, I’d say it’s definitely working. His KONY 2012 video has now reached almost 41 million views after only three days of being online.  He’s found a way to make his human rights movement become a cultural movement using social media; thus, change the way that the people in this world fight for what they believe in.  

--Shannon Listorti