Blog posting written by Kimberly Capehart, Documentary Studies and Production '16, FLEFF Blogger, Cherry Hill, NJ 

How much time do you spend on the Internet?

In a society that is constantly connected to smartphones and laptops, researchers have determined that the average teenager spends around seventeen hours a week online. But with the modern potential the Internet has for communicating with others, how can you blame them?  

Popular websites like Twitter and Facebook make it childishly simple to share thoughts and ideas; and once that idea is put out on the Internet, it's as simple as the click of a mouse (or the click of a trackpad, for all of you wireless folks) to share that idea and to spread it to more people. The "retweet" option on Twitter and the "share" option on Facebook promote a global network of idea sharing: a tweet can be tweeted in Ithaca, New York and in a matter of seconds can be seen by people as far away as Berlin, Germany and Koriyama, Japan. 

The potential for idea sharing isn't limited to social media. Smartphone applications like Instagram and the recently-popular Snapchat allow users to share pictures in a matter of seconds. Internet-based computer applications like Skype and Oovoo allow people from around the globe to video chat while simultaneously allowing them to share files. 

This list of websites and applications that connect people and their ideas goes on and on and is constantly growing each day. The number, and diversity, of users is also growing daily; teenagers aren't the only ones taking advantage of idea sharing. Major corporations, local businesses, non-profits, musicians, artists, and so many more people reach a huge audience through this global idea network and can easily tweet, post, share, etc. their own ideas much more easily.

Mobilities is what makes this massive sharing of ideas possible, even when people are sitting at home. Mobilities allows ideas to spread around the globe and spark new ideas in others with ease. Connections and communications that never would have been able to happen are able take place thanks to the global idea network that Mobilities accommodates. 

FLEFF is what brings these ideas, and the people responsible for said ideas, together. If so much idea sharing is able to take place around the world without people meeting, imagine how much more occurs when people come face to face. 

This year at FLEFF, members of this global network of ideas will connect face to face. People from all over the world will be coming to Ithaca, NY to share their ideas on a wide range of topics, and the best part is YOU can join in on this global conversation and share YOUR ideas.

Are you ready to network? 

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL

Okay. I need to talk about this. I need to get it off my chest. I'm already sick of this topic, but as a staff member at one of the most influential, international film festivals in the world studying communication at a college known for progressive ideologies, I need to put some words on the page. I won’t even edit.

For the last 72 hours, KONY 2012 has dominated my newsfeed, and during this time my emotions have gone from dewy-eyed sympathy to vehement anger.

They got me. The movie had catchy tunes and I “awwwwed” at the adorable white toddler on the screen. After the 30 minute film, I was ready to order my “action kit,” stamp my status with a seal of approval, and lobby in Washington D.C.

 I’m an impulsive person, so this amount of zeal within such a small time frame is dangerous. But I fought the urge. And read. I researched. I questioned. It turns out that the emphatic idealism brought on by this brilliant public relations campaign was just a wee bit oversimplified.

 I’m still trying to figure out what I believe, how I feel about American intervention, and the co-existence between innovative communication strategies and the non-profit sector. I’m sad, angry, annoyed, pissed off, and utterly confused.

But there’s one thing I’m sure about. The use of film in the KONY 2012 campaign is the driving force behind the campaign. Social media and promotional events are incredibly strategic, but they’re just means to show off the crowned jewel of KONY 2012—the flashy drama-mentary produced by Invisible Children.

Now, I can genuinely say that film is the most powerful art form. I apologize in advance to the brilliant visual artists or musicians out there, but this movie has created an international debate—a social revolution that out-organizes, out-markets, and out-flashifies the efforts of the Occupy Movement or other modern, activist endeavors. 

In terms of getting people to talk, I’m committed to films for life.

Whether you’re among the millions of KONY 2012 followers or an angsty cynic, at least we’ve all stopped looking at cat memes online and started to think—well, at least for 72 hours.