Social media: a voice for the youth.

Social media has grown to such extent that it is a profound and integral part of our daily lives, something that we cannot live without.

Ask yourself this question, what were you doing with your free time, 4 years ago ans what are you doing with your free time now?  This might be more relevant to you, if you are between the ages of 15 to 36.

The reason for this might be simpler than one might think, for one it is because social media is easily accessible.  If we take a look at the mobile usage amongst South African youth, 72% of those between the ages of 15 and 24 have cell phones, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.  

 

This technology enables them to go onto their social media platform easily and without hassle.  For example, according to Social Bakers, the largest age group using Facebook in South Africa is between 25-34, followed by users between the ages of 18-24 and 90% of them are accessing this platform from their mobile device.

The biggest reason for the success of social media is not just because it is easily accessible, but also because it gives the youth, and everyone else, a voice that is loud and clear, one that is heard.  It gives them a chance to express themselves in ways that so many disapprove of, especially in public places such as schools, where students get judged by other students or people who don’t let them express themselves. If someone were to judge you on Facebook, twitter, etc. you can easily delete them which many can’t do outside of social media without the risk of being bullied.

There is also a sense of power and expression that builds self-esteem; they can converge with whoever they want whenever they want to. It can also be a way out for so many people, not just for the youth, who struggle in life, those who have no friends or aren’t as social as those around them. It gives them a chance to meet new people and find friends online, which they couldn’t have done due to being shy or nervous.

Social media also helps strengthen relationships. Many people have friends whom they have not seen since school, or who have moved away and this platform gives them the possibility of staying connected with one another.

Even though social media is sometimes perceived as just being a cool tool for young people, providing them with swift and easy means of communication it is also a platform to build their self-esteem. People are still quick to judge the legitimate and informed uses of social media platforms. However, having quick worldwide lines of communication predominantly involving our youth, is exactly what is needed, to reach, activate and involve them in matters concerning our environment, education and social well being.

Remember the youth are our future and if we want them to be part of the conversation, then social media is where we need to start the conversation.

Five ways your phone can help you succeed in your studies

You may have just started university or you may be a seasoned veteran staring down the barrel of your final year. You may be vying to graduate with a summa cum laude or just trying to find a way to pass. Whichever group you belong to, the chances are that the key to giving your results a serious boost may be sitting right there in your hand.

Now obviously this works best if you are lucky enough to have a smartphone but older phones can still serve a purpose - it’s all about utilising what you have to hand. Using your phone in these five key ways can genuinely help you boost your marks:

1. Record your lectures and classes

Lectures, tutorials and workshops are incredibly important. They are filled to the brim with information that is vital to your success but perhaps more significantly they provide key signposts on how you should engage with a topic and crucially, how your lecturer thinks. That’s the person who’s going to be marking your work.

What’s more, lectures are a convenient and quick way to get you up to speed on a topic or provide an overview come exam time. With all that said, it’s almost a crime against your education to let them pass by in an hour-long flash. You need to record them.

This is where your phone comes in. Put it down in front of you, hit record and you can start building your personal library of everything the lecturer has ever said. This can then be used how you wish. If you have the facilities available to you, upload it to a website like SoundCloud which carries the additional advantage of allowing you to attach your own notes to various points in the recording. It’s brilliant and of course, it’s entirely free.

2. Reading

You’ve taken a trip to your study session but you’ve realised you’ve left a book at home. Or a book you’re reading has cited something which sounds interesting, but the library doesn’t have it in stock, or someone has already taken it out, or you’re nowhere near a library and you need it for your assignment right now.

As long as you have access to the internet on your phone you have access to Google Books and many other e-book services which may carry a copy of the passage that you need. Carrying a virtual library containing hundreds of thousands of books in your pocket can enable you to do the breadth of reading required to get you the marks you desire. It also allows you to strike while your mind is hot on wider reading possibilities, therefore optimising the impact on your thinking and on your work.

3. Plan your time

You can use your phone as a mobile diary by using notes and your built-in calendar. Organisation is the key to achieving good grades as is getting your work done in the most efficient way possible. And if you aren’t already using your phone as a way of doing this, you should at least give it a try. It’s the one thing that’s with you 24 hours a day.

4. Turn your phone into a study buddy

Is procrastination winning out after you’ve spent all of that time making your study cards? Well, turn your phone into the personal trainer you’ve been wishing for all of these years. The Study Buddy app keeps track of how efficiently you are working by monitoring the number and duration of breaks you are taking per study session. It will also immediately record the length of time you spend on any phone calls during your ‘work’ and will factor any texting time into account too.

5. Working on the move

Now that you’re working and filing your information efficiently what’s next? Working some more. “But I don’t have any more time to work” you say. Taking a train journey? Going on the bus? Waiting for a friend? Exercising? Get your recorded lectures on your phone out, listen to them and make notes as you go along.

So you’ve got revision cards, recorded material, a library’s worth of books at your fingertips, your essays, your notes, the Internet - available everywhere you are, whatever you’re doing.

You may think of yourself as just a pen and book kind of person but with the potential of that education-boosting powerhouse you carry around with you everywhere - can you afford to ignore it?