Social Media and Empowerment

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are now a part of a large number of people’s lives  (Facebook already has 23 million UK account holders) and are set to grow further in all age-groups in the future[1] .  At its heart, social media is a communication tool, but what are its main elements? 

These can be categorised as:

·           Social networking (e.g. Facebook, Flickr, izwe)

·           Instant communication: video, audio and text (e.g. Google Mail, Skype)

·           Blogging & commenting (e.g. the Guardian's “Comment is Free”, blogs)

·           Status updates (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, izwe)

·           Content sharing (e.g. YouTube, Flickr).

Social media’s impact upon empowerment will be profound.  Ofcom [2] recently found that, in general, people are far more likely to get involved with government-related activities through social media than any other route, and this difference is more pronounced for traditionally excluded groups. As our lives become busier and the internet becomes ever more integrated into daily routines, the pressure to redesign government in response has become immense. Research indicates that most people are not prepared to give up their spare time for community forums or consultation events – unless the issue is important or controversial enough to do so. Many more however, are happy to spend a few minutes on a website and get involved.  This is why izwe, funded in part through the London Empowerment Partnership, has been developed.

Izwe will be launched in four London boroughs in the coming months, providing  local authorities with the tools to harness the power of social media.  Izwe will help to create a  two-way dialogue in a fast and accessible way, allowing citizens to participate in, and ultimately shape, the work of their local authority. The izwe project will be a product of the community it involves.  I would strongly encourage that those reading this ask us questions about social media and input comments and suggestions into the design and functionality of the platform. Social media has always been shaped by its users, defining the way it works and the way it is used.  Izwe will be no different.   Empowering communities’ means giving citizens tools to shape the forces that impact upon their lives. Social media is a powerful tool. In utilising social media effectively, we have a powerful tool to realise this.

 
For more information, comments, suggestions and ideas, please contact: thom.townsend@izwe.com 

[1] Women over the age of 55 are the fastest growing user-group on Facebook. See: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/02/02/fastest-growing-demographic-on-facebook-women-over-55/

[2] Ofcom (2009), “UK Adults Media Literacy interim Report”