It started off with anticipation and a touch of skepticism as Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell began his narration. Then followed entertainment as Gavin jumped on a trampoline, sorrow as Jacob talked about his brother and finally empowerment as “I Can’t Stop” resounded in the background.

With Flux Pavillion stuck in my head, I posted the video as my status on Facebook and encouraged everyone to “Watch this! It’s worth every single second!”

At the time, I didn’t even think to question the cause. After all, who could possibly resist a video that stars an innocent 5-year-old, a modern Cinderella story and an upbeat song? Anyone who can must not oppose the capture of a warlord who abducts children to build his army.

For those who don’t already know, Invisible Children is on a mission to end violence by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and arrest its leader, Joseph Kony. Its website lays out three essential steps to achieve this goal: raise awareness of LRA with films and tours, channel energy from viewers into large-scale advocacy campaigns and finally provide protection, rehabilitation and development assistance to LRA-affected regions.

Within the next day, Facebook invitations to “KONY 2012: Cover the Night” popped up under my notifications, and I clicked “Join” without a second thought.

But as millions of Facebook users made a digital commitment to the cause, a remarkable wave of backlash developed as well, and the grounds for skepticism vary.

Some criticize the cause itself and object to the reduction of a complicated situation to the story of a single villain whose arrest will magically restore peace in a conflicted region. Invisible Children, however, contends that it also funds more concrete programs that help renovate LRA-affected communities.

Blogger Grant Oyston (of visiblechildren.tumblr.com) condemns the strategy. He claims that Invisible Children favors direct military intervention and supports military forces accused of rape and sexual assault. Invisible Children countered this accusation with a claim that Kony has refused offers of negotiation to end the violence peacefully and that it does not defend any of the human rights abuses committed by the Ugandan government.

Others question its financial capability. In 2011, less than one-third of the money funded direct services while the rest paid for incomes, travel and film production. In response, Invisible Children reiterated its commitment to focus on awareness.
But amid the constant back and forth between Invisible Children and its various skeptics, a new message emerges: do your research.

Although I personally support Invisible Children and its campaign, I can understand why many don’t. For those who favor aid through education, oppose military intervention or prefer to fund only direct services, Invisible Children is not the most appropriate organization to support. The problems in central Africa are multifaceted, and not a single organization has the resources to address every one.

With the ubiquity of information in a media-dominated society, it’s important to question a trend before you jump on the bandwagon. Read through rebuttals by critics before you click the “Share” button and analyze financial reports before you order an Action Kit.

In short, one video by one organization is not enough to make an informed decision about where to divert your time and money. Take the time to ask questions about and challenge a video that even 75 million viewers watched.

After all, what’s another half hour?