100. 500. 5,000. If you’re counting followers on Twitter, then more is merrier.
But what if those numbers could mean something else? What if, instead of just counting virtual people following your 140-character thoughts, those numbers could mean that lives have been changed? Maybe 500 followers could mean that 500 young people became better people? What if 5,000 followers were reading not just about your shoes or the funny movie you watched, but about people doing good work? What if your Tweets could make a difference?
This is Social NetWorth.
Beginning as a workshop and morphing into a series of regional forums, Social NetWorth is Mulat Pinoy’s answer to the question, “What is social media good for?” Through this project, Mulat Pinoy aims to help young people realize the true potential of their Facebook posts and Tweets. With so many social networks available at the click of a mouse, any young person instantly has a chance to broadcast messages of positive social change.
Social NetWorth started as a four-day workshop for college students in February 2012. The first workshop took place in Metro Manila and was attended by 24 college students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Read about their blogs and their social media projects on snw.mulatpinoy.ph.
On August 29, Mulat Pinoy brought Social NetWorth to the University of Mindanao in Davao. With organizations such as Sex and Sensibilities (SAS), WWF-Philippines, the Commission on Population, and the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, students learned the broad scope of population and development. Local newspaper Sun.Star Davao provided an introduction to the concept of social media as a news source. Over 450 students from UM and Holy Cross attended the event.
Mulat Pinoy continues the Social NetWorth tour with a forum in Dumaguete City on September 27.
Silliman University, through the College of Mass Communications, agreed to host the Visayas leg of the forum. Mass Communications Dean Dr. Cecilia Genove calls Social NetWorth a “laudable effort,” and has pledged the university’s full support for the event.
‘Social NetWorth Regional Youth Forums-Dumaguete’ will feature the KNN documentary, PopDev for YOUth. In ‘Puro na lang sex!’ Ana Santos of Sex and Sensibilities will discuss myths and misconceptions about sex. ‘Responsible social media use’ features Michael Josh Villanueva of Rappler.com, talking about the use of social media for information dissemination and social change.
The forum will take place at 9:00 AM, September 27, at Silliman Hall, Silliman University, Dumaguete City. The forum is free and open to the public. Students from other schools are welcome. Media coverage is requested. RSVP on Facebook.
Dumaguete, what is your Social NetWorth? Mulat na!