I don't understand the Bieber Effect, but it's for real
Last night, Sprint sponsored a special 2-hour episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition which told the story of a Texas family whose teenage daughter who died in a car accident because she was texting while driving.
The family has started a non-profit to tell their daughter's story with hopes that teen drivers will stop texting while behind the wheel. They are also seeking to convince state legislatures to pass bills which would outlaw texting while driving. (This is something Sprint supports.)
The folks at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built the family a new home and an office where they can run their non-profit.
I'm generally not a fan of these types of shows, but because Sprint sponsored last night's episode, I watched. And I have to tell you, I was touched by the family's story and I hope their message will be heard.
The pop star / social media phenomenon Justin Bieber was also part of the show last night -- he met the family and joined Sprint in making a donation to the family's non-profit.
As I was monitoring Twitter during the broadcast, Bieber tweeted several things about the show, including a #donttextanddrive hashtag and several messages to the family's preteen daughter who was a major part of the episode. Instantly, because Bieber's fans retweeted his messages, the #donttextanddrive hashtag and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" became part of Twitter's trending topics.
I certainly don't understand the appeal, but at least Bieber is using his popularity with pre-teens and teens for a good cause.
And I promise you, this will be the first and only time I will ever blog about Justin Bieber.
