Photo courtesy of fensterbme
In this special series, we’ll take a brief look at various fearless inspirations from the past week or so. Whether it’s a fearless young changemaker who is taking risks, a new publication that expresses bold and innovative ideas, or an organization that is promoting change and that is not afraid to fail forward—we want to shine a spotlight on them and their work in the hope that it will spark a new movement to #BeFearless.
As Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, wrote in a recent thought piece, “The old way of doing things is simply no longer effective in this new world. It’s time for us all to take risks on new ideas, approaches, and initiatives. It’s time for us to be bold, to act with urgency, and to resist the tendency to let caution be our guide. It’s time for us to Be Fearless.” Will you join us?
Turning the Camera Around
As Social Citizens we are connected to our mobile phones, laptops, and round-the-clock news feeds. We embrace the advances these connections afford us and continue to push for more. Members within the next generation of changemakers are accustomed to this lifestyle and have never known a world without such things as the Internet or social media. How might technology impact these “digital natives” and the next generation?
Adrian Grenier (HBO's Entourage) starts a conversation and shares his search for these answers with us in a new documentary called Teenage Paparazzo. During the documentary and the complementary Empowerment Tour, Grenier investigates modern day concepts of celebrity and fame within our “media saturated” society. Through the tour, which kicks off this fall, Grenier hopes to bring together teachers, students, local media, guest speakers, and educators at high school campuses across the country.
Organizers explain, “Our mission is to empower students to explore the way we look at the world, the way we look at ourselves, and the way we look at others… Without strong media criticism skills, the effects of this barrage can become destructive. It's not a mystery that technology and the Internet have allowed us all to become creators of media, so it is important to have a dialogue with young people who are growing up as the first generation of digital natives.”
According to the site, “The Empowerment Tour will bring together teachers, students, local media, guest speakers, and educators at high school campuses across the country. Schools get the opportunity to screen the film, engage in a live exhibit of art reflecting themes presented in the film, and engage in local media events. We're reaching 80 schools (that's 50,000+ students!) in a six month period, beginning in the fall of 2012.”
What impact do you think technology will play in how our society evolves as the next generation matures and technology continues its seamless integration into our lives?
You can learn more and even take action through Act.MTV.com.