Communications Major

If you've been seeing things online like #MakeKonyFamous, #StopKony and even #Kony2012, you might be thinking that another Justin Beiber-like pop tween was bursting on the scene and needed 1) your help in climbing to the top of the charts or 2) to be stopped before (gasp!) we had another Beiber on our hands.

But online culture takes on a new twist this week by using the hashtag tactic that is typically used to boost popularity to raise rapid awareness instead.

Joseph Kony is not a pop star, but a Ugandan war criminal known worldwide for his heinous acts, including the recruitment of child soldiers. A video depicting his crimes and demanding justice is being circulated online using the aforementioned hashtags to make the video go viral.

With over 40 million views, the campaign is obvisouly working. And online outcry and backlash - which we've seen quite frequently this year, particularly around the GOP war on women - appears to be heading to a new level: online justice.