4.5 Billion Social Media Users Challenged to Shutdown Networks
StumbleUponImagine not being able to communicate with your friends and loved ones, despite your best attempts. Imagine the frustration of not being able to truly connect with other people, despite your strong desire to do so. Could you stand to go one day without being socially connected? Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism. To demonstrate this and to raise awareness of the issue, SapientNitro is teaming up with the Australia-based AEIOU Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides therapy for children with autism, to launch a global call-to-action campaign titled the Communication Shutdown. By Freddie Laker.
By Freddie Laker
This week autism charities in more than 40 countries have joined forces to launch a global campaign challenging the world’s 4.5 billion social media users to shutdown their networks just for one day.
Developed by SapientNitro in Australia, the Communication Shutdown campaign encourages social media users to make a donation and receive a charity app, or CHAPP, that will signal their support and intention to opt out of Facebook and Twitter on 1 November.
Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism and by volunteering to shutdown the world will have some idea of what this is like. For a $5 donation, the CHAPP will connect with the user’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and place a shutdown badge over their profile picture.
From today the Communication Shutdown CHAPP will be available on the campaign website www.communicationshutdown.org. The site will also host a global mosaic where supporters can see their profile pic next to celebrities who have signed up.
A number of high profile people are involved with famous names including Mat Rogers, Ryan Shelton and Miranda Kerr ready to shutdown.
“One of the greatest gifts I have been given in my life is the ability to communicate. It allows me to feel connected, stay in touch with friends and family and share ideas, thoughts and dreams. If not communicating for one day will help kids with autism and raise awareness of their challenges, then I look forward to every minute of it,” Miranda said.
Australia has over 12 million social network users and globally more than two thirds of the world’s population stays connected through networks like Facebook and Twitter. As people become more reliant on these channels to communicate worldwide, the Communication Shutdown fundraising campaign will also serve as a social experiment on social media habits.
This fundraising campaign is truly powered by the people and autism charities across the world encourage people to show their support by donating $5 to receive the CHAPP and spread the message across their networks from 1 October through to 31 October, ready for Communication Shutdown on 1 November.
SapientNitro developed the strategy, creative, web design and development behind the campaign’s website. SapientNitro also created the CHAPP app for Facebook and Twitter.
About the author
Freddie Laker is Director of Digital Strategy at SapientNitro.
Comments
Dennis said:
to me this sounds more like attempt for Global Social Media Blackout. They should focus more on inclusion of people with autism, that on excluding everyone else. We should always encourage positivity and this don't look much like a positive campaign.
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