I’m going to be taking on the social reporter role at the RSA seminar on Digital Inclusion and Social Capital today – and trying to tweet, video and blog insights and ideas arising from the discussions on Will Davies working paper on The Social Value of Digital Networks in Deprived Communities (to be published after input from the seminar and online discussion have been incorporated…)
Social Reporting a seminar like this is a new one for me. I’ve almost-live blogged at conferences before, but this looks set to be a really in depth discussion in a concentrated couple of hours so I’ll be trying my best to draw out elements and weave them into the web of great experience and insight that will be outside the meeting room at the RSA as well as in it.
To help with that I’m trying out CoverItLive – which, if you’re viewing this blog post in an RSS Reader that supports it, or on the front page of the blog, should present you with a feed of conversation as the session unfold – and should give you a space to add your own comments.
Please do drop in between 10.30am and 12.30am to follow the discussions and to add your thoughts to the debate on digital inclusion and deprived communities…
There is a myth that “all young people are digital natives” and that they are all nimbly clicking between myspace, flikre, youtube and twitter – busy accessing social networking tools and in the process creating social capital. Access to a computer and the internet is so limited in many poor communities that it is not even on radar for most people – the “otherness” of the public library for instance is a cultural rather than a physical barrier.
People will only engage when they can see demonstrable positive benefits that are directly linked to their own lives, hopes and aspirations – and that they are able to explore in spaces that are part of their world – the virtuous circle can be enabled – its all about locating the experience in something truly meaningful – that might initially be miles apart from the preoccupations of the vibrant middle class neighbourhood.