In recent months social media, especially Twitter and Facebook, have gotten quite a bit of negative attention due to the recent Flash Mob incidents, which occurred in Philadelphia. I would like to balance this local negative attention with a global positive use of Social Media, especially Twitter.
On Thursday March 25, 2010 a Twestival (Twitter Festival – an event that brings people together offline for one day or night to raise money for one cause) was held in 175 cities all over the world to raise money for education in developing countries and 100% of the profits went to educational projects around the world.
The PhlTwestival – Philadelphia’s Twestival – “Search for Concern” consisted of a scavenger hunt/pub-crawl thoroughout Old City. Participants started at a bar in Old City, put themselves into teams and got clues for an Old City scavenger hunt combined with pub crawl. Over the course of the evening, participants competed against each other to earn points by taking pictures and answering clues via Twitter while traveling to several area bars. Ticket sales to participate in the event and donations via sale of raffle tickets went to Concern Worldwide. Raffle prizes were donated from local companies such as Lucky Strikes Lanes, Four Seasons Hotel and the Arden Theatre. Last year’s PhlTwestival event was held on South Street and was called ‘Tweet.Meet.Give’.
This is only the second time this event was held, the first Twestival Global happened just a year ago on Feb 12, 2009 with over 1,000 volunteers and 10,000 donors in 202 cities around the world. They raised more than $250,000 for clean water projects in developing nations.
Here are two examples of how a group of people used social media to make an impact on society, one negative, Philadelphia Flash Mobbing incidents and one positive Twestival Global. Which got the most media attention?
