Kony 2012 Video - Thoughts?

With how quickly things spread on social media these days I am not surprised that this video has become a "YouTube sensation", a trending topic on twitter, and a buzz topic within FaceBook's statuses. I have heard a great deal about this video but until now I had not taken the time to sit down and watch the full video. I believe that the video has an interesting start and a very different feel to it then I anticipated. Having known what the topic of the video was before I watched it, due to its widespread notoriety, I had a preconceived notion what the video would be. like and the images I would see within it. However, this video was completely different than I anticipated. I believe the creator of this video was very strategic in the way he produced this video. He used his son, Gavin, within the video and also used his own voice as the narrative throughout the video. I believe the way the video was done makes it even more impactful, than if he had just shown video or images of what Kony has done. Also, the widespread notoriety proves that it has impacted the social networking world and many of its users’ lives. With that being said, I am not sure how far the impact goes. I believe that most people were obviously impacted on the emotional level and believe that was Kony is doing is not just wrong but so unbelievably cruel. However, the call to action that the video stands for (stopping and arresting Kony), I am not sure if it will be answered. There is only so much as a viewer of this video that I, or anyone else in my situation, would be able to do. I am now aware of what Kony is doing, but I am no closer to stopping him than before I watched the video.

Just talking about this 29 minutes' documentary, it already achieved its goal of educating, inspring and calling people for actions on this really horrific issue which has been there for decades in Uganda. After 6 days published on youtube, the video has had more than 7 million views. I would say tony 2012 is the ultimate social medial campaign this year. Now I see my friends talking about this video after I shared this video with them just because my class assignment, think about how many people has been talking about it or even taking actions, especially amoung the younger generations, we use, affact and being affact by Internet so much. 

But to me, very personally, how do we know that the 12 political leaders and 20 cultrual influencers really are taking actions? Their website design is just a draft, I cannot feel the tention and excitement when I watch the video on youtube, so if they are really doing something for the website, facebook page or twitter or any other social media sites, this could have been much better. I don't really buy the fact that I know Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga are in the 20 influencers. I see it is very reasonable that Oprah and Bill Gates are in the list, but I just don't see the point some pop starts are in the list too. I mean I get the point that they will attract a huge account of audience to get to know this campaign, but really how can they speak for the childern's voice and really do something. I am ok with Juestin Bieber in the commercial for Proactive acne treatment on TV; I am ok to see Lady Gaga perform for new year ball drop; I am ok to see Rihanna had ome song talking about being raped, but not taling about the childern and this issue anymore since she is in the influencer list; But I AM NOT OK to see they are promising to make a change, but really not showing their power.

Is it the legit ultimate campaign or just another shady commercial?

I think it is impossible to watch this video and not be impacted by the message it has. The fact that the video has over 83 million views so far on YouTube in merely 2 weeks time is absolutely incredible. I think the video was really well done and accomplished the main goal of spreading the word worldwide. I know personally I only tend to watch YouTube videos that are around 10 minutes or less, but even with this video being 30 minutes long I was completely captivated. Overall I think this video was extremely powerful and it did an amazing job of proving the huge influence social media has on the world today.

Regardless of what anyones political views or opinions on the organization are, this campaign is an amazing example of how using video outlets and social media sites can be immensly effective. For me and many many others, this video shocked me. For nearly the entire 30 minutes, I had the chills running up and down my body. I was so engaged in what Jason Russell was saying and the message he was trying to send, that I didn't even notice my roommate was talking to me for 5 minutes. That is what a good video should be like. Immediately after it ended, I went to the website and pledged my support. I also looked into purchasing a kit and bracelet but everything is sold out. That proves the high volume of people this video has impacted. That their products are being demanded more than they can keep up with. From what i've heard, the views jumped an extensive amount in just a few short days. The Kony 2012 is a prime example of how a social video can capture a broad audience, and then continue to spread like wildfire. 

Even the recent controversy coming to light involving the Kony 2012 video maker doesn't hinder the power of the video and campaign. I heard on CNN last week that it has actually become the most successful (in terms of views) viral video of all time, so it clearly works as a social video. In addition to its success strictly as a video, social networks like Facebook and Twitter were blowing up all week with friends encouraging one another to watch the video and join the movement.

It was extremely impactful for me, but personally, it goes deeper than just this video. One of my high school teachers was very passionate about Joseph Kony, the Lord's Resistance Army, and the humanitarian crisis taking place in Uganda. I was particularly close with this teacher, so his passion certainly spread to me and many of my friends who were in his class. The Invisible Children actually gained a very strong following at my high school, Warren (MI) Cousino, including a large student group that had some of the most successful fundraisers I saw in my time there. I can't say enough about how happy I am to finally see these issues being looked at on an international scale, and the success of social media and new technology is to thank for it.

This video was extremely impactful. Not only is it made easy to share, but also the content makes viewers care. It is also beneficial that it is aimed at young people, since the platform of social media is mostly used by our generation. Overall, the video is empowering, and was extremely effective in reaching its goal.  Going forward, I will more frequently seek to use videos as a method of sharing current events through the various forms of social media that I use.

 

 

 

This video was impactful for me. It went viral and has been extremely publicized in the past few weeks, which I think is taking away from the original intent. I believe that the film maker, Jason Russell, had great intentions when he made the video. The Kony campaign has become so controversial because it's hard to watch and not feel guilty-- or make you want to help the cause. But unfortunately, there has been a lot of negative feedback. And sadly it seems to be having a personal effect on Jason Russell, who was recently detained by police for bizarre behavior in public (looking to be a nervous breakdown). This video in my mind would definitely work as a social video, it has impacted our society through many different generations and lifestyles. And as with any social issue, there will supporters and those who do not agree with or support the cause.

I searched online about KONY 2012 YouTube social media campaign, it is really impressive that

Over 50 million people influenced by the information in only one week. It is a good way for people around the world see the truth and maybe we should care more about the vulnerable groups alike. It is good to notice that more children live in the same area die of malaria, diarrhea, and nodding disease in northern Uganda on a daily basis than the monthly average of Kony's 25 years of killing. People may pay more attention on the viral video for those children as well!

Kony 2012 was an amazing video, and I did in fact use this as my example in last week's homework as I'm sure many did.  And it was heavily impactful on me.  As I mentioned in my homework assignment, my older brother is very much into world peace and social justice issues, so this was right up his alley and he convinced me to take a look at it (although the campaign is so well done the goal is to get ordinary people like me and you who aren't like my brother not only watching but also taking note, and I think they've succeeded in this feat already).  I think what they are doing is fantastic, and how they are doing it even better.  This is definitely something to learn from as far as impacting and spreading an idea around the world effectively.  There has been a lot of talk about its propagandic nature and some have spoken out about Kony not even being relevant anymore, that this video should have come out years ago, that it is all about making money, is a scam, etc., but from what I've seen, heard, and read, it is all for the right reasons. 

Wow! This viral video is the most inspirational video I have ever seen. When I first noticed it was 30 minutes I was pissed becaus I didn't want to just sit here and watch it, but I am so happy that I watched the entire video. This video shows how social media can change lives. In todays world people communicate with each other so easily. Being able to pass around the message of the invisible chidlren has never been simpler. This is awesome in the fact that brings the emotions and tragedies to life. People are always willing to help each other, but they have to know about the situation. This video tells it all. Jason Russell is doing an amazing job promoting the cause and I believe he will be successful. Todays world is different than before, people can make a difference. 

I can see how this video became so viral through social media. A big part of social media accounts is self presentation. Everything posted by an individual in a sense defines that person. Compassion and empathy are seen as very positive traits for a person to have. Sharing this video may allow a person to feel like a more compassionate person and other people who see the post may view that individual as more compassionate. I realize this is a pretty negative way to think about it, but I think there is some truth behind the idea. Although it is probably also very true that many people are inspired by the video and really care about spreading its message.

The Invisible Children organization obviously created a well-executed viral campaign.

Content on the internet is typically shared by people who were touched on an emotional level after viewing said content. This content may have evoked laughter, fear, or even tears. The viewer then forwards the content (because it is deemed important) and hopes it brings forth a similar emotional reaction in someone else.

The Kony2012 video elicited a very strong response due to the fixation on appealing to viewers’ emotions and the supposed connectedness of humanity. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that this video has attained such attention and virality.

I will not be joining Kony2012 mania. I support the prosecution of warlords who have committed heinous crimes against humanity, but it’ll require a manner far more complex than what was proposed by the Invisible Children organization.

Regardless of any political perspective, it is an amazing video. Firstly, the video itself is really touching. After watching it, I really feel like I need to do something to help these children. If what I can help is just as simple as a click to spread it out, so why not? I think these are the top 2 reasons the video go viral on Internet. This campaign is wise to encourage people to participate, empower people, let them feel they are able to continue the story and make a difference.

This is a pretty crazy campaign, I first watch the video about three weeks ago and it only had 29 million views, now it's up to about 84 million.  It's just not about the views tho, its what the views have translated into, I know that many of the people I know have a least mentioned it, news casts have covered the views because of its popularity on YouTube as well.  I believe it does work as a social video because it triggers an emotional response- which many good videos do. I am curious to find out more about Kony 2012 because I know that there are many skeptics out there, accusing them of "this and that".  It will be interesting to find out

After watching this video finally, I couldn't believe that I hadn't taken the time to watch it prior to posting this. I'd been hearing about this in the news for weeks, but it was incredible to see a more in depth report on what is happening with this movement.  I'm intersted to do more research on the topic because there are so many mixed messages swirling around each and every post that invisible children provides.  I don't believe that this is propaganda like some are trying to make it out to be, but it is very impactful and I look forward to finding out more about this.

I thought Kony 2012 was a very powerful and worthwhile video. It is crazy how small the world is now adays and how quickly things can be passed on to millions of people compared to just 50 years ago. At the beginning of the video, it said that there are more people on facebook today than were people on earth just 200 years ago. This video shows the great impact of social media and why it is worthwhile. Everyone should take just a few minutes out of their day and a look at Kony 2012 because I'm definitely happy that I did.

 

Even though I heard about KONY 2012, I haven’t had any chance to watch this video before. After watching it, I thought KONY 2012 was one of the best examples of using video for social media. This video showed that how social media can influence people all around the world; in other words, social media is very powerful today.  I think it was definitely impactful not only for me but also for people who are interested in social media even though it was only 30-minute video clip.

Kony2012 was a very powerful video. I saw the video when it was first released and it kept my attention the whole thirty minutes. This video did exactly what the makers wanted it to do. It went viral in a matter of hours and was able to spread a message of awareness to millions of people around the world. I believe that this video could work as a social media video because it's within the same guidelines, except for the length of it of course. Regardless of wether or not you put belief into the video, it still did what it was supposed to do. Spread a message to millions of people in a short amount of time.

I have watched this video twice since it was uploaded on YouTube two weeks ago.  This video shows that social media can be very powerful and shows what can happen when a video goes viral.  It went from no one knowing who Joseph Kony was, to him being all anyone could talk about in only one day.  When I first watched the video I thought it was very inspiring and they did a great job.  I went to show the video to my dad the next day and it had gained 26 million views.  The video is now at over 80 million views.  The video is very impactful with the way he uses images, like his son and things in Uganda.  Within the last week I have heard a lot of negative things about the Kony video and Invisible Children.  Recently, the creator of the video, Jason Russell, went crazy on a naked rage over the negativity from the video.  I have read some negative things about it, but not enough to make a logical opinion about it.

After watching this video, I immediately googled Kony and found their website. The website is really well made and express the same spirit as the video. I feel that "kony group" really understand how to use social media and what could evoke sympathy during young audience. I found this brilliant trick in their websit using celebrity to promote their idea.

And also they explain "Why are we making Joseph Kony famous?" in the website. I think it is another smart move since the video creats a hot buzz and potential audiences might question the "real will" of kony. Here is what they said in the front page of their websit: 

Invisible Children’s KONY 2012 campaign aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice. In this case, notoriety translates to public support. If people know about the crimes that Kony has been committing for 26 years, they will unite to stop him.

Secondly, we want Kony to be famous so that when he is stopped, he will be a visible, concrete example of international justice. Then other war criminals will know that their mass atrocities will not go unnoticed or unpunished.

This video has all of the elements needed to catch on and go viral.  In my opinion it would have done even better if it wasnt so long.  Most of us now want information quickly and we are not willing to wait.  It does do a good job though at keeping you tied in and being relevant to the intended audience.  Its talking about the changes that have happened in the world in every way from wars to media.  It does a great job at putting things in perspective and gets the audience thinking.  It is nice to see someone using social media for a real cause outside of making money.  Too often we see videos of someone falling or cracking a joke, because we don't want to think about the tough topics like this.  It's reassuring to see the success of the movement thus far, I just hope all the efforts pay off in the end and the ultimate goal is reached.

This is a very interesting video that shows how powerful social media and viral advertising can be.  However, I believe it is also a testament to how we must be spoonfed all of our information at this day in age; which allows for propoganda.  Although I agree that what is happening in Uganda is a tragedy, many of the facts in this video are disputed.  Moreover, the filmmaker is not well regarded these days as he was recently arrested for public masturbation.  I believe social media has so much power, but at times this power can be abused.  There are terrible things going on in Uganda, however, if we are looking to be truly informed of the truth, I think research is more important than taking a video's word.

I think this video is extremely impactful, the way he uses his son, himself and thousands of people around my age with videos and pictures of what is going on is very impactful. I had seen the Kony 2012 movement blowing up on facebook but was extremely confused and still didn't really know what was going on. After watching the video everyting is so much clearer. I think it is amazing how this movement is defined by social media. I am shocked by the fact that originally congress and other important influential people ignored what is going on because they felt america did not need to help. However once all of the people began learning about this important issue and pushing for something to be done, they finally sent in our aid. This video proves how social media is brigning the entire world together and working together for an important purpose and cause. This may even be the first step toward world peace. 

The editor-in-chief, Tarcher/Penguin  of Religion Magazine talks about the top 10 myths about 2012, it is interesting and I would like to share it with all of us.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitch-horowitz/top-10-myths-about-2012_b_1...

Personally, I don't think that 2012 is really coming beacuse I never believe in those stories. Movie is just movie, it can never be the reality.

I discovered this video a couple weeks ago while surfing Facebook. It seemed as if nearly every single person had a status relating to Kony 2012. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to sit down and watch the video. Honestly I thought the video was amazing. But the reason why I found it amazing may surprise you. The cause, and the goal that Kony 2012 aims to achieve is a tremendous one, and I commend everyone for doing their part to put an end to such evil and cruelty. But the thing that really drew my attention was the effect this video had on my entire social network. One minute no one had even heard of a man named Kony; 24 hours later I couldn’t talk to one of my friends without it being a topic of discussion.

The sheer power social media has is amazing. For the first time ever people can communicate across the world in real-time. But the most inspiring aspect of this entire story is the concept of hundreds of thousands of people if not millions all coming together and supporting one topic. People say our future looks grim, but I feel optimistic. Social media is going to change the world, and it’s going to change it for the better. Oppression and dictatorships are becoming few and far between, and the ones that still remain are struggling to maintain civil control. People can no longer be sheltered and brainwashed. Social media is opening up new avenues of opportunity and showing what the world really looks like to millions of people. Social media is showing the rest of the world that we can work together, we can get along, and we all can live in a free world.  

 

I have seen this video in many places before on Facebook, Blogs, and other social media sites, but this was the first time that I sat down I watched it. For me personally, I thought this video was very impacting. I thought that it did a good job not only creating awareness, but summarizing the situation in a simple manner for everyone to understand. I think that it definitely worked as a social video. Even though it was longer than an average social video it was interesting and the length of the video was necessary to achieve the desired impact.

Kony 2012 was said to be the most viral video in history. This video was an excellent example of how social media can turn videos viral and influence the entire world. KONY2012 was quickly trending on Twitter and video links were posted all over Facebook shortly after the videos release. I think that this video is very impactful was was made very well. Kony 2012 was an incredible movement was was viewed worldwide in a matter of hours. This absolutely works as a social video and has make a very big impact worldwide.

I was actually one of the first 1000 people to watch this video, so I thought it was extremely cool when it blew up into such a large movement. I thought this video was extremely well made and impactful. I literally had goose bumps while watching it. I think it works as a social video because it revloves around a social video, that is also encouraged to be shared with others. Unfortunately because of the 48 million viewers and the videos success, it has also gained a lot of critisim based on the validity. Also, it doesn't help that one of the men in the video was arrested last week for public indecency. When in doubt, there's no such thing as bad publicity! 

 

The Kony 2012 video I had seen on Facebook and I had heard my friends talking about it. This video has gone viral. We have learned in this class about how going viral isn’t something you can plan, it just happens. This video did it. When I watched this video I literally got chills. Just like he says in the video no one knew who Kony was. I know I didn’t. Now with this video and the use of social media his name is everywhere. Using a powerful video like this and spreading it using social media he has made a large impact on this cause to stop Kony. 

 

I actually watched and researched this video some last week while completing our previous assignment. Not only is it a great movement, but Jason Russell did a great job creating compelling content that grabs viewers’ attention. He had my attention.  I found it successful because he added his own personal story giving the video and the message behind it a personality. The video also encouraged engagement. Many viewers visited the Invisible Children’s website and continued to search further into the subject. However, this video is also getting some backlash which came from its overnight viral success. Handling the backlash now needs to become part of Invisible Children’s social media marketing plan so that it doesn’t become negatively perceived and reported amongst all channels of media. 

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/16/10721745-exhaustion-blamed-for-irrational-behavior-by-kony-2012-filmmaker

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Keep-Calm/2012/0313/Invisible-Children-responds-to-critics-of-Joseph-Kony-2012-campaign

KONY 2012 was very insightful because in pretty much 48 hours millions became aware of Invisible Children and Joseph Kony. Millions rushed to give donations, spread the video link, make personal videos to reach out to celebrities, and purchase the action kit for 'Cover the Night'  April 20th. I was actually up around one a.m when KONY2012 began to trend and one of the first celebrities " Rihanna" joined the movement. It was amazing to see how over a short amount of time everyone was talking about the same topic, simply because a youtube video went mainstream and enough people cared to share it on social media sites! 

I ended up watching the Kony 2012 video for the first time during spring break after many of my facebook friends posted the link. I believe around 20 of my friends posted it on Facebook, while another 40 posted it on Twitter as well. Although the video was pretty long, the first 2 minutes does a great job to draw the viewers in and get you to watch the whole 30 min. video. It was impactful for me at the time because it opened my eyes to an issue that needs to be addressed in Africa and really brought an emotional factor to the video. It definitely works as a social video because it targeted the 32 politicians, celebrities, and other famous people to get this video to the spot it is in now. The video has also been all over the news as a result of its instant popularity and people becoming involved in the issue. However, with the popularity, comes negative press which I have seen over and over within the last week or so challenging the video's views and even negative press on the narrator getting arrested in California. This really just shows a video and cause can gain popularity so fast, but can be brought down even quicker with this new age of social media. 

No better way to show the power of social media then the Kony movement. I have watched the video, pretty moving stuff, but It's hard for me to understand why the goverment didn't get involved earlier. This has been happening for years and years, why the social movement now? I know that this Kony video has the most views now in Youtube history which is very cool in itself, but this is something bigger then social media, something people need to realize is going to take real fire power to stop, just watching the video isn't going to make a change. 

The KONY 2012 showcased the power of social media -- being everywhere from Facebook and Twitter to making the nightly news and garnering celebrity involvement.  I think it definitely works as social video and is the epitome of 'going viral'.  I think the reason KONY 2012 went so far and so fast was that it wasn't based on something that interests only a certain niche of people -- the rights of humanity affect us all, and the majority of us felt compelled to share the cause with others.

KONY 2012 is part of a larger movement, Invisible Children, which begs to end the war in Uganda. As someone who has been involved with this group since 2006, I am a bit biased. I think that this video was created to go viral, and it has. It has pushed KONY into the social media spotlight effectively, and I don't go a day on Twitter without seeing posts from my friends about it. It is impactful to me as a social issue for humanity to deal with. This works as a social video because it informs and has a clear call to action. It stirs emotions and pushes the issue into the public eye.

After seeing how much and how fast the Kony 2012 video was circulated you really can’t deny the power of social media. I started seeing the video pop up all over Facebook and Twitter at the beginning of spring break, but since we’ve been back the movement has seemed to have died down a lot. This makes me think that the people were spreading it were just jumping on the bandwagon because that’s what everyone else was doing, instead of actually researching more in depth on what this movement was really about. I’m not saying the video isn’t impactful, the message and the cause really taps into people’s emotions and I truly do think people should get involved in some way, shape, or form, but I think if it really resonated with people then it wouldn’t be dying down and more people would be continuing to spread that message and get the word out on how to get involved and aside from that week to week and a half that it was spreading like wildfire, I just haven’t seen that.  I do think the initial steps that were taken and the video communication itself was awesome and very creative.

 

I was one of those people who wrote about it last week. I think this is social media at its finest. It educates the viewer and more importantly has a call to action. It's interesting to think that a viral video could be 30 minutes long but maybe this is actually the direction all viral videos will be going. The more these types of viral videos become political and have a stance, the more we as viewers will have to sift through what we believe is truthful and relevant versus what is fabricated and for material gain. In this case I have read many articles validating the later stance. That Kony is no longer a problem and that this attention is actually harmful to the Ugandan people. This article attached shows both points of view in a fairly unbiased opinion.

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0319/Backlash-against-Kony-2012-Where-are-the-voices-of-Ugandans

I think Kony 2012 redefined the word "communication". It represents us a strong example of how social media is changing our life and the world. With the Intenet, people around the world are connected. Opinions and thoughts spread quickly on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In a short time, everyone is talking about Justin Bieber, Occupy Wall Street and Kony 2012. Social media gives individuals an outstanding opportunity to express opinions and get famous. Social media is setting agenda for the public, and even for the media. From Kony 2012, companies or individuals can learn branding, public relations and viral marketing.

It seems like this KONY 2012 video was an overnight sensation, as many videos are in this day in age. I started noticing this video popping up in my facebook newsfeed at the beginning of spring break and first I didn't think much of it until my roommate posted the same video on her facebook and told me to watch it. After I spent 30 minutes watching this amazingly impactful video, I immediately hopped on the Kony 2012 bandwagon and checked out their website and facebook page. However, now that recent news has broken out that the creator of the video, Jason Russell has been arrested for public indecency I feel that his cause may lose supporters and that is extremely unfortunate. Now, like many other people, I am questioning the legitimacy behind this operation with its founder clearly not level-headed, so who knows now what will happen to the KONY 2012 movement

The video blew up my news feeds on my social media profiles while I was on spring break, but I didn't really pay much attention to it because it was primarily my less intelligent  "friends" that we're posting it because everyone else was.  It reminded me of wearing Abercrombie & Fitch in high school.  It appeared to be the cool thing to do, but the people trying to follow the trend couldn't really give a good explanation as to why they were doing it.  If people who's opinion I respected posted the video, I would have watched it.  However, my intelligent friends were talking more about the fact that supporting one side of this issue is just picking between two evils, and by funding this organization you would just be tipping the scale of power between the two parties.  Apparently these "nay sayers" had some klout because Jason Russell went bonkers due to stress.

After watching the Kony 2012 video, it would be hard to deny the power of social media. The immense amount of views (67 million to be exact) within the span of a week alone can speak for itself. The video successfully achieved its goal of spreading awareness and then some. Tapping into people’s emotions can really get a rise out of people, which is exactly what the video did.  I enjoyed how the video encouraged people to spread the word and get involved, which in doing so, made people spread the video. The idea is very marketable and many businesses and other foundations should take notice of the success of this video and therefore, the foundation as well.

I was one of the many people who discovered this video as it spread all over Facebook and other social media networks. I think it was extremely impactful, as the situation is very moving and makes you want to show this to other people. The impact it has on everyone that views it I believe is the reason why it works as a social video. Despite it's length, those that see it want others to see it. This is the reason why it spread so quickly and impacted so many people.

        

        I was one of the millions of people who had viewed this video on YouTube the day it was posted. I had only heard a few things about the Invisible Children prior to watching this video. This video was able to bring attention to the horrible things that have been taking place in Uganda. This video was meant to make Kony famous and because it became viral so quickly, that happened. This is an example of how powerful social media can actually be. At the very least this video gets people talking about the issue and increases ones overall awareness about situations taking place overseas. This video was purposeful and impacted many people who saw it. I saw it as a chance to do further research and educate myself about the situation at hand.

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

         I think that KONY 2012 is an amazing use of social media. Many of my friends shared or reposted this video on Facebook and got many people talking. After watching this video I even did research on Kony and what can be done to help the movement without spending money. The best way to do this is to post and repost. Use social media for all its worth and get the message out there for the world to hear.

         I could go on and on about this video but overall I just want to say it is a great use of social media. The video even asks for celebrity endorsement, which is essential in advertising. This shows that you yourself can do the same thing. You can use social media to communicate with the world!

(With a viral video like this come critisim. While doing research about Kony I came across another YouTube video that was posted from a girl who is from Uganda. It is a differnt point of view on LRA and KONY. Check it out.  http://youtu.be/7DO73Ese25Y)

 

The Kony 2012 video is very powerful on many levels. One day I was writing some articles for my website and going through pictures and all of a sudden I was bombarded with tweets and Facebook updates about Kony. At first, I really have no idea what it was about. So being the curious person I am, I watched the video (even though it was 30 minutes). It was very impactful and emotional. The Invisible Children take me back to when I read the required book Freshman year and was exposed to all of this information. Twitter, Facebook, and all social media platforms really helped this campaign go viral. Within an hour, I was invited to Facebook Groups, events, tweeted at, retweeted by many people. I recommend this video as well.

 

Kony 2012 is a good example of the influence of social media. I just remember being on twitter one second, then the next everyone (literally everyone) was tweeting about the Kony 2012 campaign. I watched the video over spring break and was heart broken. I remember MSU did a series with the Invisible Children, but I never knew what it was really about until I watched the Kony 2012 video. I think that the campaign is great and I hope people will actually pledge and support. Since watching the video two weeks ago, it seems like some of the hype has died down especially since people have begun investigating the organization. It was reported that Joseph Kony hasn't been a major threat in some years so once that news also spread, people started backing away from the organization. I think that it is still necessary to catch him even though he has not been active for some years, he has still murdered thousands of people and deserves to see judgemnet for his crimes against humanity. I just hope that people continue to support the efforts and not believe all of the hype they see on twitter. 

I can't think of a better example of the power of social media than Kony 2012. Invisible Children has always relied on young people using the power of social media to spread the world of the problems in Uganda and they get it. Invisible Children understands how powerful social media is and the true impact it can have on the world. You don't have to agree with what they're trying to accomplish, but you can agree that their grassroot efforts are a powerful thing that is working exacatly the way they want it to.

I had never heard of or seen this video before this blog post. This video is very impactful for me. I was only very minimally aware of issues going on in Uganda and this video brought them to light for me. I think anyone who watches this video is impacted and it sparks an interest or thought in them that makes them want to help join the fight or at the very least be grateful and thankful for the life that they have. I think the work being done by Invisible Children is incredible and should be applauded. I think that using YouTube to post a video such as this is a great stepping stone. This video, at the very least, raises awareness for what is gong on in other parts of the world and what people here in the United States are doing to help change it. I think additional work must be done to actually get individuals to take action but this video  may spark action and will get people talking about the issue and cause. I think this is one of the wonderful things about the Internet and online video sites, such as YouTube. It always serious issues to be addressed and understood. Using video is often much more impact then a simple article or pictures.

I think it was a great use of internet video to help a great cause. The video was touching, well informed, and had a lot of people interested in the cause and sharing the video. However, there has been some negative things come about on this video/cause. I agree with some other people's previous postsd about how some of their friends might have posted the video without watching it or without doing anything for the cause so it may not have been so affective. Also, I have heard some negative aspects about the campaign. First, I heard about not alll the proceeds are going to the cause, which could just be a rumor, but htey should use another video to combat that rumor and put it to rest. And finally, this past weekend the creator of this campaign was arrested for a pretty embarrassing incident which will hurt this campaign. From making this first video they are obviously creative and skilled enough to make another video to combat these issues.