Be mindful of how you use technology – SMSS Young Leaders

Persons in today’s society should be mindful of how they use technology so that they are not used by technology.

This is the message from the St Martin’s Secondary School Young Leaders, as they attempt to tackle this year’s RBC/RBTT Young Leaders {{more}}competition, under the theme: “Digital Citizenship: Responsibly Navigating Technology.”

At Friday’s launch, president of the SMSS young leaders Erel Hector revealed that for 2015, the group will focus on educating the public on the correct ways to go about utilizing technology, so that all users can be protected.

“If a digital culture is not safely navigated, in which rules and other aspects are sometimes misinterpreted, undoubtedly, a number of risks will surface,” the president said, while highlighting ills which exist online, including hacking, sexting, cyber bullying and plagiarism.

Under their subtheme: “Respect Through Education That Will Lead to The Protection of All,” the SMSS young leaders’ project will entail public outreach through various mediums to educate persons on etiquette, law, commerce, literacy, access, safety, rights and responsibilities of a digital citizen.

In his feature address, managing director of Mavcom Paul Morris expressed confidence in the young leaders’ ability to do well on the project.

However, he challenged the students to create a feasible solution to tackle a problem that is very real in today’s world.

“The world in which you are becoming men and women is no longer limited to just flesh and blood interactions, but it is accompanied by and sometimes overshadowed by a digital world,” Morris, a past student of the SMSS, said.

“The convenience and opportunities provided in the digital world, coupled with the perceived anonymity of cyberspace will only serve to bring out who we really are. So, the dilemma which you face in approaching this matter is: can you teach someone who is irresponsible in the natural physical world how to be responsible in the digital world, when given the correct framework, the tendency would be to capitalize on the freedom and anonymity of the digital world?”

Mavcom’s managing director noted that in today’s world, young persons are led to believe that they are talking to the man or woman of their dreams, when really they are speaking with predators who are old enough to be their grandparents. He added that in the digital world, terrorists can learn the streets of any city and execute a suicide mission in one trip.

With all these things being made possible by the digital age, Morris told the young leaders that in order to make their project successful, they must seek to resolve the dilemma of natural and digital citizenship and natural and digital behaviours.

“Anyone can write a lot of flowery, nice sounding words and methodologies and many people get paid to do it. So, you may do that and you may even win this competition. But if you are really going to make a difference in society through this project, you must resolve the dilemma of natural and digital citizenship and natural and digital behaviours,” he said.

“It is obvious that St Martin’s continues to possess the intellectual capacity to create innovative solutions through the collaboration of innovative teachers and students. Whatever the outcome, tackle it with the understanding that you are living in a world with a real problem, demanding a real solution, which many of you have the capacity to provide.”(BK)