'Kony 2012' and Youth Activism

In a week's time, the video Kony 2012 has jumped from zero to 76 million views on the Internet. Produced by a group called Invisible Children, its stated aim is to stop a brutal war lord named Joseph Kony and his “Lord's Resistance Army” from recruiting tens of thousands of Ugandan child soldiers to murder their parents and other civilians, creating havoc with no political purpose. The video promises that viewers can "change the world" by creating "awareness." We look at the source of the half-hour production's appeal and why it might be counter-productive.