The Kony campaign, as a whole, is not a bad thing. It's a very unique and very modern approach to solving a kind of serious issue. It has a super well-produced video with a hip soundtrack, well designed posters/ads, a simple and informative website and a great big youth-y feel to it all. The thing about appealing to the youth is that only a very, very small percentage of the demographic will really get up and do anything, but that hasn't stopped the Kony campaigners from trying. They do a great job of stressing the importance of actual activism, but they also leave a lot of room for 'slacktavism' so people can feel like they're making a difference. I'm not sure if this was intended, but it's blossomed into what people associate Kony with.
When I think Kony I don't think "Evil Ugandan warlord that must be stopped", I think "Lazy teenager on Facebook who posts the video and forgets about it the next day". Invisible Children's seemingly flawless marketing campaign might have backfired on them a little by associating themselves with this image. I also feel that the youth really aren't equipped to handle a problem this large. No one's going to arrest Kony, they're going to kill him, straight up. Once Kony's dead and the LRA is 'disbanded', all those child soldiers who have nothing to come home to and no where to go will do what they know best: kill. It's the 'abusive father' mentality; if you grow up being abused and abuse is the reference point you go to when raising your own child, then you'll most likely be abusive too. It's not your fault, but it's what you know.
I'm glad people are talking about Kony, seriously, but there's more to it than meets the eye. The best thing the campaign has done is start the conversation, and hey, who knows, maybe a few years from now there'll be a concentrated effort to not just stop Kony, but stop the whole 'abuse cycle' that's permeated throughout the entire country. That's my hope, at least.
No comments:
Post a Comment