Social networking sites, organizations, and youth themselves are taking advantage of the amount of time youth spend online by using the internet as a tool for encouraging activism. Whether through social networking, blogs, videos, or forums, the internet is becoming a great place for youth to learn about important issues in the world today, connect with others who are passionate about the same issues, and share their ideas to raise awareness and create positive change. According to a study called Just Cause conducted by MTV in 2006, 70% of youth believed that helping others and their community is important, but only 19% were “very involved.” The web is offering youth new and inventive ways to get involved. Hopefully that 19% will soon be on the rise! Could the internet be turning into a tool for good?
Social Networking sites that encourage activism
In 2007, MTV launched a social networking website, www.think.mtv.com, that encourages and enables activism. The website is backed financially by AOL founder Steve Case’s Case Foundation, Bill Gates’s Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Foundation. Celebrities and organizations that use the social networking site include the United Nations, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and musician Bono.
Similar sites include www.change.org and the Centennial College-initiated www.humanracebook.com. Think.mtv was initiated to draw youth into activism, as was humanracebook, while change.org seems to appeal to an older audience as well as non-profit organizations. Think.mtv describes their website as “your community where you, your friends, and your favorite celebrities can get informed, get heard and take action on the issues that matter to you most.”
Even popular social networking site Facebook is enabling youth to spread the word about important issues through the “causes” application and through facebook groups dedicated to spreading awareness.
Organizations with a focus on youth
An excellent example of an organization that is using the internet to encourage activism is Free the Children. Free the
Children is the largest network of children helping children in the world. It was founded by Craig Kielburger, pictured on the right, when he was only 12 years old.
This section of the Free the Children website encourages you to “find your perfect way to help the world.” It offers you the opportunity to get informed, get involved, and share and connect with other youth by posting photos, videos and stories. It is an online space for youth from across the world to come together to discuss their ideas and their projects, and to support each other in creating change.
On March 5th, youth across North America will be participating in Free the Children’s Vow of Silence campaign in order to raise awareness and collect donations for children throughout the world who are silenced by poverty, war, and oppression. The website created to raise awareness about this campaign, www.iamsilent.com, uses flash and graphics during the introduction to effectively explain the campaign in a simple, yet hard-hitting way. It also provides youth with relevant facts, downloads, and everything they would need to participate in the campaign. The website is definitely worth checking out (be sure to have your speakers turned on).
Videos that raise awareness
A short, well-made video can be incredibly effective in getting a point across. Youth today are generally thought of – by adults – as apathetic, and the video below is a great example of a video that is doing its part to reverse that impression. Clocking in at less than two minutes, its message is still very clear. In many ways this video is a call to action: what part will you play in the way our generation is viewed?
How about you? Have you seen any other effective videos that encourage activism? Have you heard of any interesting or cool campaigns via the internet?
