The Big Picture With Kal Penn Season 1 Episode 4 Going Viral

The Big Picture With Kal Penn is a docuseries that takes an in-depth look at various global topics through a mixture of interviews, field trips and research. In season 1 episode 4 titled "Going Viral", host Kal Penn explores the rise of viral content and its impact on the modern world.

The episode starts with a brief overview of the history of viral content, which began to take off in the early 2000s with the rise of sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Today, viral content is not only a form of entertainment but also an unprecedented tool for activism, advertising and even politics.

Kal Penn travels to Los Angeles to meet with some of the people behind the biggest viral videos of all time, including the "Charlie Bit My Finger" family and the "Damn Daniel" duo. He asks them how they created their videos and how it feels to have captured the attention of millions of people worldwide. He also investigates how these videos can turn into viral campaigns with a message, using the examples of the "Ice Bucket Challenge" and the "KONY 2012" campaign.

The episode also delves into the darker side of viral content, discussing how it can be used to spread fake news, disinformation and propaganda. Kal Penn meets with experts in misinformation, who explain how viral content can be deliberately manipulated or fabricated to influence public opinion. He also explores how social media algorithms can amplify certain types of content, leading to an echo chamber effect that reinforces existing beliefs and divisions.

To balance out this section, the episode also considers the positive power of viral content for social change, highlighting the example of the "Me Too" movement. Kal Penn speaks with women from different backgrounds and industries who have used social media to share their stories of harassment and abuse. He also meets with activists who have used viral content to call attention to issues like police brutality and climate change, showing how online engagement can translate to real-world action.

Overall, "Going Viral" offers a fascinating and wide-ranging look at one of the defining phenomena of our time. From the funny and frivolous to the serious and consequential, viral content has transformed the way we communicate and understand the world around us. As Kal Penn notes, "the internet is the ultimate democratizer, giving anyone with a smartphone the power to create and spread their own message. The question is, what are we doing with that power?"