A couple stories of the importance of being able to “go viral” in the digital age.
Today was Budget Day in Saskatchewan and it was confirmed that, after being cut by $5 million last year, the library funding that was restored after public outcry, would remain in place, leaving library funding stable, at least for the upcoming year. A huge part of the reason that funding was restored about a month after the cuts were first announced was because of a Facebook group that quickly went viral, gained thousands of members within days and became a hub of information and actions to oppose the library funding cuts.
Another example of “going viral” for positive social change is the GoFundMe set up in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy which has now passed $8 million raised (contrary to the updated number in the screen grab above which appears the goal was $4 million, it’s wild that the actual initial goal was only $10,000 on the night of the accident when first posted!)
As Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in front of Congress about some of the very serious issues with Facebook (and they *are* serious), it’s important to remember the potential for good that many social media outlets provide as well.