Digital Technology for Social Change
5:46 PM
Vernon Joseph Go
We are going around the country to give free seminars on how young people can foster change through the use of digital technology. Through digital technologies, young people are participating in a range of activities including social networking, blogging, gaming, instant messaging, downloading music and other content, uploading and sharing their own creations, and collaborating with others in various ways.
The new digital media* are a frontier rich with opportunities particularly for young people. They provide great potential for facilitating civic engagement and democratic participation. Leveraged properly, the Internet is a powerful tool for promoting social responsibility.
“The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is allabout potential.” - Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive, Microsoft.
Yet 21st century movements are more likely to create unlikely leaders. With young people having to move quickly with current social media trends and technology advances it is important to share good practice and discuss the issues and find solutions on how new leaders can build their capacity to make a greater impact on the world.
* the term “new digital media” refer to actual technologies that people use to connect with one another - these include mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, computers connected to the Internet, etc. For more information, visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/philippines-common-know-our-projects-current-projects-digital-technology-for-social-change.htm
