Hi Scott,

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. Like you, I was touched and moved by the compassion of this child to want to help, how he went about doing it, how is idea spread like wildfire, and the power it had to drive people to act on his behalf. And of course, how we could all learn from him.

Having said that, I was actually driven to comment here in response to your perplexed tweet, "Interesting how no one has anything to say about this, despite my honesty." I didn't comment before because I could not connect the dots between the title of your post and what you wrote.

Charlie, the 7 year old boy, did not go out with the intention of having his message distributed and retold all over the Internet so that he would get sponsorship. He did not have pieces of social content ready to be shared. He, most likely his parents, chose a platform that fit his need. Where he could state what he wanted to achieve, and ask for support to help him accomplish it. It was a 1 way message, with an option to respond by donating. Cut and dry, where is he driving this via "Social Media"? Charlie never actually responded to the people, he was not "doing" or using social media tactics or strategies from what I could tell. ( I am not suggesting it was needed of course ). Absent are any noticeable pieces of content to share or pass on except a standard share link on the page, which is most likely a function put there by the JustGiving website. There is a nice little note from Charlie and two pictures, none of which could be shared or commented on directly. Therefore I lost you with how he "does" social media better than the rest of us. Where is the social part from the boy?

Maybe I'm getting into semantics here, but if you're title was more along the lines of "The Power of Social Media taught to us by a 7 year old." and then followed up with how and why that is, then you might have gotten more of a response. Of course we can all learn from this and it's a moment for introspection, I agree with you, full stop. But I also think you missed an opportunity to shed some light on WHY this is a great example of Social Media, other than stating the obvious that many adults over complicate things. That said though, this one heck of a case study showing that Social Media does work. The formula is there. The boy's idea, his message, his goal, and how it was elevated through the power of social media. How he was able to reach it and go beyond it. How his message transcended the medium's and how it has continued to do so. How it spanned the globe, inspired many, and brought collective action for the better good of humanity and the people of Haiti. It's a powerful example because it was simple, authentic, and genuine in nature.

( A bona fied contagious idea = recipe for viral + a goal --> Potential for Reach and Success! )

He showed us that a simple idea, one with purpose and meaning could have a huge impact. There were a mix of social and technological factors that helped this story spread and we all saw the value in sharing it and acting on it. I think it's worth noting, that it's still spreading. It's still alive. Why is that? Because the 7 year old boy lived up to his promise! So maybe in the end you were right, maybe "A 7 year old does Social Media Better Than The Rest of Us".

Thank you for sharing this story and for providing the space for me to share my ideas.

Cheers,
Theresa


( p.s. I bookmarked this to come back and comment when I had more time. It's roughly 4 hours later. At that time, I noted the amount raised was £114,900. Now it's at £128,610.
Which means in 4 hours, this kids story has raised £13,710. FRICKIN AWESOME! )

Hey Theresa - you're totally right. I suck at writing headlines, and completely misrepresented things.

What just strikes me - even if he didn't raise a thing - was that the kid *did* something.

Looking at how it happened to raise 70k - this is viral. People like me spend lots of time teaching companies how to do this, and then here is someone who is checking none of my boxes, and doing far better than I would by checking all my boxes.

Goes to show that context is huge - that the conditions are right. Typical Malcolm Gladwell and te Tipping Point.

The best line you wrote IMO is, " Because the 7 year old boy lived up to his promise!" - I've been writing a lot about promises and expectations recently (again, few comments) - but this is core thing - doing what you say, and having authenticity to it.

I also love the fact that he's almost doubled the amount. Just shows what we can do when we work together.

Thanks Theresa - much appreciated - do comment again sometime :-)

It is nice to see a child with a positive attitude and motive just going ahead and working towards his goal. Too many adults make things more complicated than they actually are. We all find obstacles and excuses when we don’t need to. This kid had a goal, went for it, and others admired him. Plenty of people out there are willing to reward actions for the greater good – we just need to take those actions in the first place. If the child had the wrong attitude, the people of Haiti would be receiving £70,000 less in support. Worth thinking about.

It's truly inspirational isn't it.

My brother is the same age. This just kicks me up the ass to be frank.