Social Media has long been known for its involvement in charitable initiatives. Among them is Causes, a Facebook application which is very popular among non-profits. Noted proponents like Corey Szopinski, Jane McGonigal and former Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes all come to mind regarding the work that is being done, associated with what is referred to as the Good Web.
This week, celebrities who have a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook will go dark temporarily to shed light and bring focus to a $1 million fundraiser for Worlds AIDS Day, which is scheduled for December 1. With this year’s slogan, "Act Aware," celebrities like Alicia Keyes, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson are just a few of the celebs whose Twitter and Facebook accounts will be silent until the fundraiser goal is reached.
The new campaign titled, the "Digital Life Sacrifice," requires that the involved entertainers sign off of their social media platforms on Worlds AIDS Day to signal others to donate to the cause. Alicia Keys, who has 2.6 million Twitter followers noted in an , "it’s so important to shock you to the point of waking up," that the celebrities have actually filmed "last tweet and testament" videos signifying their digital deaths. These tweets will be tweeted out before the celebs actually sign off of the network.
With large number of followers of some of these celebrities, it’s conjectured that someone like Lady Gaga could raise the $1 million by herself. She currently is leading the pack with 7.2 million followers on Twitter and nearly 24 million fans on Facebook, alone. Keys said, "she’s got a very, very mobilized fan base… and (her) people will follow (this campaign) and act."
The foundation, which began in 2003, will accept donations through text messages and bar-code technology, which is featured in the charity’s Buy Life campaign that features stark announcements of all the celebrities who will die digitally for the cause.
In a more dramatic announcement, this ad reads: "Kim Kardashian Is Dead," explaining that she has
sacrificed her digital life "to give real life to millions of others
affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India," the ad reads. "Visit
BuyLife.org or text ‘KIM’ to ‘90999’ to buy her life now."
