Democracy 2.0 + Social Media for Social Change
by Emily Blaylock
Born in 1988, I am a true Millennial through and through. The Democracy 2.0 Declaration states that, “we are social networkers, we are multi-taskers, we are communicators and we are opinionated.” I find great enjoyment in multi-tasking, using various forms to communicate, and voicing my own opinion. Yet I am one to seek out simplicity (engaging in single-tasks) in a morning jog, a cup of coffee, or baking cookies. I’d also choose to listen to someone’s opinion over a cup of coffee than read their Facebook update. Yet I think my enjoyment of these simple activities and complexity of communication further identifies me as a Millennial.
I joined the Mobilize.org team just weeks after graduating from Corban University in Salem, Oregon. I received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, spending my four years focusing on Business, Psychology, and Women’s Ministry. The same day as my thesis presentation, I accepted the opportunity to join the Mobilize.org team. I then began quickly making plans to move from my home in Oregon to live in a place I had only visited once for less than 24 hours.
In so many ways this is a grand adventure for me—moving from small town Oregon to big city Washington, DC and working for an organization that is making a lasting change in the world as a recent college graduate. In leaving behind family and friends, I took assurance in my belief that there will be good return for investing my life in an organization that supports Millennial-led solutions.
I love this part of the Democracy 2.0 Declaration in particular:
“Our generation is telling a different story. We are uniquely positioned to foster community engagement through social networks of all kinds. It is our responsibility to use information and technology to upgrade democracy, transform communication and advance political engagement and civic participation.”
We live in a time of great change and possess so many forms of communication that our ancestors never dreamed possible. I get so excited at the possibilities of using these forms of communication to bring Millennials together with different backgrounds and experiences. We can communicate about problems, collaborate on solutions, and then Mobilize.org can provide resources to support the implementation of these solutions.
It is this type of work that gives me great hope for what the future can be and I believe investing my life in this work will have a good return.
Follow Emily on Twitter @emilyblaylock.
