Going Viral(Submitted by Emily Robinson Leclair, CLN)
I am a sucker for anything with the label ‘viral’. I fall for the viral recipe (every time): smash burger tacos, baked feta pasta, and dumpling bake. But I hadn’t really thought much about what makes something viral until recently.
According to Collins Dictionary, “if a video, image, or story goes viral, it spreads quickly and widely on the internet through social media and email.”
Here are some memorable examples:
Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar selfie in 2014.
What colour was THAT dress?
A photo of an egg became the most-liked picture on Instagram in 2019.
You get the idea. But what is the criteria for ‘going viral’?
An article from the website 'When Going Viral' includes a list that includes:
- Luck
- Timing
- Very high emotional engagement
- Audience reach
Based on those criteria, I am excited to share that CLN has its own viral blog article. But first some background for you.
Beginning September 2025 and ending June 2026, 39 blog articles were published on the CALP Portal.
Each blog article averaged 187 visitors over the past year. The most viewed articles were:
One article, published by Faye Beauchamp at the end of February, has exceeded all our blog article metrics. Here is a monthly breakdown of visitors to the Many Ask: What's the Difference Between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples? article:
- March 541 visitors
- April 458 visitors
- May 771 visitors
- June 766 visitors
- July 1005 visitors
- August (as of Aug 25) 639 visitors
That is 4,000+ views. How incredible! Congratulations, Faye!
“Going viral is more of a feeling than a number,” Kevin Driscoll, the author of “The Modem World: A Prehistory of Social Media,” said. “The mathematical vocabulary is limited because it doesn’t get at the feeling, particularly for someone who made the video or post.”
Source: https://news.virginia.edu/content/what-does-it-mean-go-viral-dive-internet-fame-and-its-evolution
Obviously, we know that Community Adult Learning Programs value quality over quantity, but I wonder when ‘going viral’ can benefit the field. Let’s loop back to the World Record Egg.
It cracked under the pressure of social media. Get it?!
The creators of the World Record Egg recognized that going viral provided them with a platform and they used it for good. In an ad for Mental Health America, the egg shared an update.
“Hi, I’m the world record egg. (You may have heard of me.) Recently I’ve started to crack. If you’re struggling too, talk to someone.”
We can do the same. Continue to share information about our work in adult literacy and foundational learning. Join the National Literacy Alliance for Canada. Support the Case for a National Literacy Strategy for Canada.
Participate in provincial, national, and international campaigns like the upcoming International Literacy Day on September 8th.
Share and reshare. Let’s use our platforms for good.