How Blogging Helped to Save Orphans of Nepal

This week, when reading about new media and global activism, I could not help to think how new media is able to catapult projects and efforts to a larger arena. With the help of the Internet, humanitarian efforts are publicized thus giving them not only local recognition by national attention.

After graduating from high school a friend of mine, Maggie Doyne, was not sure what she wanted to do. She had graduated with honors as well as received acceptance letters from a number of Ivy League universities. However, she was not ready to dive into college yet. Maggie decided she was going to take a year off and travel the world. Her final stop in her tour was Nepal. She was heart broken by the numerous orphaned children and decided to stay in Nepal to aid conditions.

Since 2007, Maggie has fostered a safe community in Kopila Valley, Nepal. With the help of a small team, she has single handedly built a school, living center, and community for orphans of Nepal. In order to complete all this, she has relied on donations. While our town held galas and benefits for Maggie, her real success came via the Internet.

Without the help of new media, Maggie would have had a far more difficult time sparking national interest. With in the blogging community Maggie’s blog was collecting thousands of hits a day. People were inspired by her story and wanted to help. Followers urged her to become apart of the Twitter community so they could receive constant updates.

Due to social media, Maggie has won national success. Among her larger accolades, she was the 2008 CosmoGirl of the year and won the “Do Something Award” that put her on the back of cool ranch Doritos this winter. Maggie was put in the running for both of these national campaigns due to her well-managed blog and tactful manipulation of social networking sites. As well as the obvious, her huge heart, noble goals, and commitment to success.

As Bennett points out, “digital media is important to activists.” New media has allowed Maggie’s story to spread quickly and efficiently. Newsletter can be sent electronically and daily updates are given. Without her blogging efforts, in both the micro and macro field, it would be difficult to raise awareness and support 20,000 miles away from the United States.

New media has certainly gained Maggie national attention and allowed her to continue to work and expand her living community for orphans.

Virtual Communities

This week we took a critical look at how new media helps to form and in some cases strengthen groups. The concept of group formation is seen excessively on college campuses and is most noticeable among first year students.

Prior to entering college, I was not a user of Facebook. However, that changed when I decided on what school I was going to attend in the fall. I created a profile to see whom I would be living with, who my roommate was, and what types of kids would be attending Catholic University with me that fall. Immediately after forming a profile and joining the Catholic network I was invited to “Class of 2010” groups than eventually to “Spellman Hall” the dorm I would be living in. Through that group, I was able to see and ‘friend’ people I would be sharing a dorm with as well as to form a basic bond and connection with my peers.

This is an example how new media channels existing motivation. I was obviously curious what my roommate and neighbors were like as well as those who would also occupy my freshman year dorm. Without the medium, in his case Facebook, none of this would have been possible. I would have had to wait until I attended school to see what my roommate looked like or get a feeling about why type of students attended Catholic. Via Facebook, I was apart of a community before I stepped foot onto campus.

We mentioned in class, “new technology has enabled new kinds of group forming.” Continuing with the example of Facebook, this is noted in networks people belong to. You would not join another school’s network or the network of a company that you did not work for. It would not only be pointless but a social taboo. By joining networks one is associated with, it helps people to link up and to form a common bond. Social networking sites have revolutionized the ability of group formation. It is quick as well as easy. Although new media is not always seen as good and certainly has its flaws it is undeniable that it forms an instant group among participants.