To the Editor,
You
may have heard about the Invisible Children (IC) campaign titled “KONY 2012”.
Chances are you’ve seen the video on the internet, 2.5 million people watched
the video in the first 24 hours of it being published.
I
am not going to go into the accountability of IC or the validity of the video.
This is not my place. I do, however, want to expose the truth of social
movements today. This video has proved that we, as a society, can quickly and
efficiently share information and ideas. The Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and
other social networks make this relatively easy. These networks might be
exactly what my generation needs to create serious social change (as seen in
the Arab Spring), or it could be our downfall.
Shortly
after the 30-minute video was released on March 5, it soon became a trending
topic on Twitter and Facebook. People were clicking “Play” and “Share” as
quickly as they could. One thing they neglected to do was think critically of
the video and their actions. They were not doing research to check the facts.
They assumed they could understand the situation in Uganda and Northern Africa
from the 30-minute video. However, the issues in this part of the world cannot
be exposed in such a manner.
Whenever
we experience something that piques our interest, we need to be critical: check
the facts, do research, and engage in discussion with those around us to gain
other perspectives. We should not assume that everything we see or read on the
internet or in any other form of media is true. We must begin to think for
ourselves again and not get caught up like sheep in the herd.
Social
movements, such as KONY 2012, are and will continue to be popular. They grab
your attention, they capture your imagination, and provide “solutions” to the serious
problems in our world today. Therefore, we need to be aware that there is
likely more to the story, think about how our actions will impact others, and
most importantly: think critically!
As
Plato once wrote: “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance
deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully
hidden.”
Steven Hepburn, Emsdale
Studying International Development and Globalization at the
University of Ottawa