This is the first in a two-part series about international development. While it was inspired by the Kony 2012 movement, it is not a direct response to it; rather, it is a lesson in how not to change the world, meant for general application.
People are lazy. Given the choice between two equally good options, one of which is harder than the other, they will pick the easier one. People also like to do good things. Given the choice between two otherwise identical options, one of which benefits others and one of which doesn't, they'll pick the more beneficial of the two. There are exceptions, obviously, but I think these statements accurately describe most people.
International development, in a general sense, is almost unambiguously a Good Thing. It's pretty easy to support a cause in favor of people not dying of preventable diseases or in brutal wars. So, when people are made aware of the need for development, they're generally pretty supportive of it. So far, so good.
Unfortunately, in some cases, that's about as far as the good gets. There are several ways in which development can go wrong, but I am focusing here on one specific problem. I call it "slacktivism."
Here's the problem. Creating real change in the world isn't easy. This is where humanity's desire to do good comes in conflict with its laziness. Given the choice between traveling to Kenya to drill wells and posting a video on Facebook, nearly everybody will choose to post the video. That's not necessarily bad. Not everyone can or should dedicate their life, or even a summer, to development. However, we need to be completely realistic about what our actions accomplish. This, I believe, is the real danger of slacktivism.
First, posting things on Facebook and other social media sites. There is an appropriate place for this. For instance, anyone who followed my Facebook posts during the last weeks of February saw essentially daily posts advertising BYU's annual Hunger Banquet. I have posted articles on development and links to development-related web sites. I enjoy it when other people do the same so that I can read them. However, we need to remember that these posts are limited to two basic purposes. First, they create awareness of, interest in, and knowledge about problems and projects. Second, they encourage participation in events and organizations. Social media is incredibly effective at accomplishing these aims. It's not so effective at getting beyond them. Don't kid yourself. Nobody in Uganda cares about how much you're trying to help them on Facebook. In all likelihood, as the first paragraph of this article points out, they don't even know that so many people are talking about them.
So social media is all about getting attention. That's useful, right? To a point. Here's the problem. Everybody knows that there are serious problems all over the world. Anyone who pays much attention to the news has surely been flooded with stories already, and even people who don't have been exposed to enough activist campaigns that the Bad Things happening in some far-off place are real. Raising knowledge of specific issues is valuable; on the other hand, knowing about something in and of itself doesn't create solutions. Everybody knows about cancer.
Another common form of slacktivism is online petitions. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for participation in the democratic process, and I'm absolutely in favor of petitions like this one. But, once again, we have to be realistic in our expectations. Elected officials get thousands of petitions signed by hundreds of thousands of constituents. They are constantly bombarded by lobbyists and interest groups (trivia: if you e-mail your congressperson with the intent of influencing his or her vote, you're a lobbyist; if you sign a petition, that petition will be delivered by an interest group). Your voice will (probably and hopefully) not be ignored, but it will be a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the aggregate total of voices being heard. Lobbying and petitioning is an essential form of activism, but don't think your signature just changed the world. It didn't.
I could go on and on about similar issues, but I think I've made my point clear. I realize that I've been pretty direct and a bit harsh in my statements, and I want to make sure that nobody thinks I'm a pessimist who believes nobody can change the world. We can. This is what I plan on dedicating my life to. I am, absolutely and completely, an optimist. However, in order for my optimism to be of any use, it has to be bounded by realism. The things we do, especially on the internet, are good and necessary. We just need to keep them in perspective. Knowing what social media can and can't do allows us to use it properly.
Finally, a statement on what we CAN do. Two of the most valuable commodities we have at our disposal are time and money. After successfully identifying a worthy and sustainable development project, if you really care about it, make a donation. If you can, volunteer. It doesn't have to be huge. Lifesaving vaccinations can be provided to a child for less than a dollar. Development is, and probably always will be, understaffed and underfunded, and volunteering and donating will always help.
I close with an analogy. Imagine that some serious personal tragedy has just occurred in your life. It could be the death of an immediate family member, or a debilitating disease, or an accident that destroys your home and your livelihood. Some of your friends and acquaintances have no idea what's happening. Some of them post statuses on Facebook letting everyone know. Others call you and let you know they're praying for you. Some come and bring you meals. Some help you cover bills you'd otherwise be unable to pay. And some stop by and help you carry out day-to-day tasks that now prove impossible for you to do alone. Obviously, you appreciate everything that everyone does for you, but who really helped the most? Who made the difference between a painful experience and one that could have destroyed your life?
Keep that in mind whenever you want to change the world. After all, in the end, changing the world is about changing individual lives.
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