A field trip to UCL this past Monday lead us to a panel discussion entitled: London-Haiti Live Anniversary Panel Discussion-“Communicating with Haiti: Where the Response Failed, Where it Succeeded, and How we Move Forward.” It featured a diverse panel including four speakers and Alex Joseph, the accountability officer speaking live to the audience via Skype. After listening to the entire presentation I came to realize how the Internet, changing technology and our world’s rapidly improving forms of communication are key in not only the survival of countries but for every day life as well. How this NGO chose to communicate their message through the implementation of Skype and Twitter displayed how with the convergence of these new technologies and social communicating processes, the world can dramatically be altered. Since moving to London, I have become completely dependent on the use of technology, most specifically through my computer. When living in the States, if ever I needed to contact a friend or loved one, I would shoot out a quick text or call and instantly be connected. My phone never left my hand. However, since moving abroad, my communication process has dramatically changed. In order to communicate to loved ones or friends at home, I stay glued to my Facebook and Skype accounts. And not only do these two social media avenues assist me in communicating with people across the world, I use these networks to also stay in contact with my friends here in London. With the dazzling phone we purchased for our stay here for the upcoming four months for a whopping one pence, it only provides me with a limited amount of calls or texts and I constantly try to avoid using it at all in order to avoid a high phone bill. So rather than use a phone to call my friend down the street, we have adapted to these new communication conditions and rather stay connected via Facebook or Skype. I had never used Skype prior to my stay here and when I would venture onto Facebook, I never left my chat on for people to see that I was online. However, now that I solely depend on its use, I make sure to always be available online and have found myself attached to my computer rather than to my cell phone. So as I have come to realize this dramatic change in my every day life in regards to technology, I sat and watched the panel implement these similar technologies I am currently dealing with as well. I was in awe of its power. Having the ability to have Alex Joseph speak live all the way from Haiti and even go a far as to answer questions from London students and live Tweets from people unable to attend the function, was a marvel to witness. Never have I witnessed such technological capabilities and realized how the communication process can change the world when used in its full capacity. A foreign leader can communicate for assistance from a country in need hundreds of miles away and a daughter can see the face of her parents when far from home. The overall discussion performed by this panel may not have been the most interesting form of presentation because they primarily functioned through verbal storytelling of their experiences rather than implementing engaging PowerPoint in conjunction with their discussion. They might have implemented innovative forms of technology but their presentation brought about a valid point as well, technology is not effect when used incorrectly. Alex was barely understandable due to his heavy accent and their lack of organization caused them to look unprofessional. They left their chats and tweets up for the entire class to see which is not professional. Yes, I was in awe initially of their use of technology however it quickly lost my attention due to the form of presentation they implemented. Regardless, their use of Skype and Twitter definitely left me thinking. Their overall presentation lacked the strength they may have hoped to produce but viewing their discussion taught me how, if done myself, a panel discussion should actually be held. Technological communication has changed the world and I know Thinking Development will utilize all the workings they have in order to make a difference in the lives of these struggling Haitians. Here are the social media powers I discussed in this post:
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