Sometimes a Good Title is Hard to Come By

Early this week a video received an unprecedented amount of attention so since everyone seems to have an opinion about the video and the organization behind it, I thought I would share my opinion on the topic. On Wednesday I got on the computer to start my morning ritual of briefly checking on the facebook world before I head off to work.  The phrase ‘Kony 2012’ was plastered all over my newsfeed.  At first I thought we had a new candidate for president to consider.  I couldn’t believe how many people were talking about it.  Finally, after scrolling past the 20^th post on my feed I googled the phrase, clicked on an article and scanned it for pertinent information.

Turns out Kony would not be a good candidate for president . . .

Instead, everyone was talking about a video that called for a grass-roots campaign to bring to light the atrocities perpetrated by Joseph Kony in the hopes that the raised awareness would lead to his capture and the disbanding of his army.

I had to get to work though and didn’t have time to watch a 30 minute video.  I didn’t want to watch it either.  See, I have an aversion to hype.  The more people are talking about something, the less I want to be involved with whatever the topic is; especially if I didn’t know anything about the topic before the hype. It is why I have never set foot in an IKEA and why I can count on one hand the times I have gone to an In-N-Out Burger or Trader Joes.  I guess I don’t like being told what I should like or the newest thing that I just have to try.

I knew I would have to watch it though, given my position in a youth leadership development organization and the fact that it was primarily young people that were posting about the video.  Maybe it could be a good topic of discussion at a meeting or even an event they could participate in.  I just couldn’t watch it then.

I went to work and let the topic stew in the back of my head.  So when I had time to watch it later that afternoon I already had the preconception that I would not like the message (an additional 30 people posting about it on my newsfeed that afternoon didn’t help matters).  By then, the some of the backlash toward the video and the organization that made the video had already started to surface too—complaining that it was misleading or simplistic or calling to question where the organization was spending the donations they received.

So I watched the video.

First, let me say that I think the concept is great and it is great to see young people excited about making a positive change in the world.  And if you were moved by the video, then by all means go out there and raise awareness for that cause.  My only hope is that you think critically about what the video is asking you to do instead of going with a knee-jerk reaction to the video.  Don’t let anyone else tell you what to think or do—come to that conclusion on your own.

Personally, I could not get past the videographer’s blatant use of his young child to play on the emotions of the viewer.  I found it in poor taste.  Perhaps I am the only one who thought that, but that is how I feel.  Kids should be kids, not pawns manipulated by their parents to suite their personal agenda.

Until next we meet.