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PROVO — The internet can be a negative place, but youth in Utah — and around the world — are focusing on the good.
Teens will convene at the #UseTech4Good Youth Extravaganza coming to Utah Nov. 2-3, where students, educators and community leaders are looking to make changes in the negativity they see online.
“I feel that it is extremely important for others to use tech for good because I believe that being kind is the best thing anyone can do,” said Hayden Webb, a high school student at Karl G. Maesar's Preparatory Academy.
Webb created an anonymous Twitter account for his school that includes positive messages from students.
"Social media is often looked upon as the worst thing when it comes to positivity, so why not change that?” he said.
And extravaganza organizers hope those who attend will feel inspired about the ways technology can be used more positively and deliberately.
“The Youth Extravaganza is really cool because it’s showcasing what a lot of us overlook in our day-to-day lives," said Becca Linford, one of the students planning the event. "We may hear the very extravagant, big, important ways to use technology and feel like we don’t have influence, but the Youth Extravaganza will help us see that that’s false. We have so much influence.”
Students Bethany Breck and Rachel Elle hope to do just that with their Cyber Seniors program, which connects teens and seniors through technology.
"Cyber Seniors is an awesome example of using tech for good because we used our knowledge as teens of how to use technology to teach others who didn’t have the same knowledge,” Elle said.
The program includes one-on-one training at centers in Utah and focuses on basic digital literacy skills, including how to use social media, how to communicate with families and how to do family history research.
“I hope that younger generations will be able to convey the potential of technology to influence our society for good and integrate older generations in this process,” Breck said.
Other students or individuals who want to organize their own Cyber Seniors Program can contact Breck at bethanymbreck@gmail.com for more details.
“Students should be involved in the discussion of using tech for good because we are the ones growing up in this technologically-infused environment," Elle said.
"Students are the ones who have never known another way of life. ... If adults learn how to teach kids about good uses of technology rather than allowing too much freedom with no guidance or no freedom whatsoever — and therefore no trust — kids would begin to recognize what good technology can do."
The Youth Extravaganza runs from Nov. 2-3 at the Utah Valley Convention Center. The event is free and open to the public.
For those wanting to find the positivity and be involved, the details of the Youth Extravaganza, National Digital Citizenship Summit and free local digital citizenship community events are all available here.
More examples of using tech for good can be found at UseTech4Good.com or by following the hashtag #usetech4good. People are encouraged to submit their own positive stories to the site.
Students Bethany Breck and Rachel Elle hope to do just that with their Cyber Seniors program, which connects teens and seniors through technology.
"Cyber Seniors is an awesome example of using tech for good because we used our knowledge as teens of how to use technology to teach others who didn’t have the same knowledge,” Elle said.
The program includes one-on-one training at centers in Utah and focuses on basic digital literacy skills, including how to use social media, how to communicate with families and how to do family history research.
“I hope that younger generations will be able to convey the potential of technology to influence our society for good and integrate older generations in this process,” Breck said.
Other students or individuals who want to organize their own Cyber Seniors Program can contact Breck at bethanymbreck@gmail.com for more details.
“Students should be involved in the discussion of using tech for good because we are the ones growing up in this technologically-infused environment," Elle said.
"Students are the ones who have never known another way of life. ... If adults learn how to teach kids about good uses of technology rather than allowing too much freedom with no guidance or no freedom whatsoever — and therefore no trust — kids would begin to recognize what good technology can do."
The Youth Extravaganza runs from Nov. 2-3 at the Utah Valley Convention Center. The event is free and open to the public.
For those wanting to find the positivity and be involved, the details of the Youth Extravaganza, National Digital Citizenship Summit and free local digital citizenship community events are all available here.
More examples of using tech for good can be found at UseTech4Good.com or by following the hashtag #usetech4good. People are encouraged to submit their own positive stories to the site.
