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Title:

Can We Save The World With Social Media?

Your vote:
Yes No
Organizer:
Leslie Poston, Uptown Uncorked
Description:
Using the social media bubble and social media tools to find real world solutions to issues like the poverty gap, gender gap, generation gap, race bias online and more. Directing the rapidly moving networks to solve problems that government and organizations cant, leveraging the speed and connection of the social web for good not evil. Online solutions to real world problems.
Questions
Answered:
  1. What are the pressing issues facing technology and society?
  2. Where do current technology and social media applications fail in solving these issues?
  3. What does the gap between the issues and technological reality mean for the United States as a contender in global economy?
  4. How can we leverage social media and technology to bridge these gaps?
  5. Can an online network exert influence over an offline problem?
  6. What are practical necessities we must achieve to bring our tools out of the bubble and into the hands of people who need them?
  7. How do we turn needs into realities a far as technology access and knowlege?
  8. In a world where access to broadband in a becoming more of a right than a want, how do we make it a reality for everyone?
  9. How to determine how you can help?
  10. How to go about leveraging small networks as well as large ones to create an overarching umbrella effect of change?
Level:
Intermediate
Category:
Human / Social Issues
Type:
Panel
Event:
SXSW Interactive 2009
Leslie Poston
on 8/8/08
Thanks for the votes so far. I'm really excited about the possibilities of this panel.
Steve Spalding
on 8/8/08
I am really excited about this panel. We don't spend anywhere near enough time talking about how we can use the Social Web to make broad changes in society. It would definitely encourage me to come out.
Melanie McBride
on 8/8/08
This is very important. I wish more people would talk about these more critical uses of social media. Here's a great response to your question above from Canadian social-change social media folks at "social signal":
http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/rob-cottingham/can-web-2-0-save-the-world

I am personally devoted to social change and social justice. As an educator, I'm especially keen on developing new kinds of literacies to promote positive self actualisation, learning and active citizenship as an alternative to consumerism, impulsiveness and disconnection that saturates youth consciousness.

From my perspective, here are some of the ideas we need to promote - through applications, tools, services and community philosophies that promote POSITIVE social change and engagement:

- compassion (v. competition)
- empathy (v. narcissism)
- care (v. cruelty)
- mindfulness awareness (v. disconnection)
- citizenship (v. nihilism)
- critical mindedness (v. coercion)
- social consciousness (v. sociopathology)
- social justice (v. social hierarchy)
- equity (v. agency)
- creativity (v. consumerism)
Joshua Dilworth
on 8/8/08
Agree. Nice idea!
Vanessa Mason
on 11/8/08
This one sounds like a must-see.
C.C. Chapman
on 12/8/08
What a GREAT topic!
Michael Durwin
on 12/8/08
Fantastic idea. We can already see the impact SoMe has had on the Presidential Election. This just continues the idea that SoMe is about conversation not controlled by government and big media.
Chris Clark
on 21/8/08
I'm a little late to the party, but I've just added my vote. It's a great idea.
Leslie Poston
on 21/8/08
Thank you all. And there is no such thing as late to the party - still over a week left of voting and this panel means a lot to me, so tell your friends :) I made a tiny url for it also: tinyurl.com/sxsw-saveworld

I'm excited for the panelists - I submitted it with a notion of the kind of people I wanted to ask and a list of possible names. Since then I've gotten interest in being part of the panel from people like Shireen Mitchell, Aaron Brazell, Jim Keenan and more. I guarantee if it gets approved this will be a lively and productive, hands-on group of people
Gradon Tripp
on 21/8/08
A winner! 5 stars from me!
Aronado Placencia
on 25/8/08
I would love to hear more about *how* to "solve problems that government and organizations cant, leveraging the speed and connection of the social web for good not evil. Online solutions to real world problems."

Communication is one thing, action is another. I know it can be done, and can't wait to learn more about actually how to mobilize people using NM/SM/SN for social good.
last minute
on 18/5/09
Great idea!
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