I was honoured to be invited by the Diocese of Pasig City to share my thoughts on the topic, Youth and Modern Technology. Kudos to the organizers for gathering more than 500 young people and adults across different organizations in the city on a rainy Saturday, 10th August 2019. But everyone brought sunshine and energy inside the hall. It was jampacked and electrifying, and the interest of people from across the hall was awe-inspiring. So humbled and grateful!
I talked about the power and peril of modern technology and how young people - considered the biggest social network in the PH - can use it as a force for good.
According to WE ARE SOCIAL report, the Philippines tops internet and social media usage in 2020, spending an average of nine hours and 45 minutes per day online. This staggering amount of time can possibly produce economic and social dividends if these were invested in productive activities. Otherwise, it is a major opportunity cost.
The Philippines is in a sweet spot as it is home to about 30M young people with an average age of 23 years old. How might we use the energy, time and the critical number to solve deeply seated social challenges?
Modern technology can empower young people due to the unparalleled access and connection to information, training and education and social network, increasing their human capability. They can use technology to collaborate beyond boundaries, disrupt businesses and create new business models that serve the wider community to promote social equity, enabling young people for greater autonomy and self-determination as they can personalise and customise their experiences.
The Philippines is an enormous social laboratory. We have massive unmet social needs in healthcare, education, transport, environment, food security, food poverty, financial vulnerability, environment and climate, child poverty, gender equality, urban sprawl and so on. How might young people influence culture so they can contribute to transforming our community for good? This is a challenge that our home, school, churches and organizations face to bring consciousness, awareness and mindfulness into our daily lives so that the Filipino youth grow up becoming critical thinkers, socially responsible, culturally sensitive, entrepreneurial and proactive learners.
What can we do? SELFMatters is a school of human capability. The reason for our being is to transform culture through wider access to literacy and education. We offer a range of courses to prepare young people for life.
We work with diverse organizations and individuals particularly global Filipinos who have worked abroad and acquired expertise and skills in solving challenges in the public and private sectors and would like to move back home for good or to spend holiday while making a difference. If you are collaborative, committed, non-conformists, problem-solvers, open-minded, with creatively-charged ideas and passion to make a difference, let’s talk and work together. SELFMatters in the Community is a testbed and a launchpad of collaborative projects. Together, let’s create opportunities to learn, change rules and be part of a pioneering project.
Email us what you think at myselfmattersph@gmail.com.
