In light of all the discussion over the recent viral Kony video and all the related information, I wanted to discuss the effect of the simplification of the issue that is present in the main video. First of all, as much as I sincerely wish this was not the case, I do believe that simplifying an issue down to where there is a clear right and wrong and very little grey area is necessary if one wishes to truly get young people motivated to support and help a particular cause. If there is no clear right and wrong and there is room for questioning what should truly be done, many young people will either be unsure of what to think and avoid helping, will speak out against the cause and hinder its progress, or will start major debates and bring the issue to a complete standstill.
However, I think that simplifying an issue to its bare bones, as is effective in rallying young support, does not have to be a finality. I believe that the initial publicity for a cause may be benefited by simplifying the issue, but that as people begin to care, research the issue, and become involved, providing them with more detailed information is actually very helpful even though it brings the issue into the dreaded grey area. For instance, if someone became very passionate after seeing the Kony video and decided to get involved, but was not provided with any more detailed and complex ideas of the issue, they might take actions that are naive and do not actually help the cause in any real way. Another possibility is that if they find more information on their own later, they might become wary that the cause they support isn't telling them everything and back out just out of caution.
By providing more complex information about the issue to those who actually take the first step and decide that they care about a cause, one can guarantee that those who remain committed are making more educated decisions about their actions. Plus, the initial emotional pressure from the simplified initial information still lingers in people's minds even as they read more complex information, which makes them more likely subconsciously to side with the cause once they are informed.
I am wondering what everyone else thinks as to whether simplification helps or hurts, and if anyone else agrees that more information is still needed later on if nothing else. Thoughts?
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