Last month the United Nations Foundation hosted the “Social Good Summit” in New York City. The event was well attended with more than 1,600 participants. Guests included bloggers, journalists, world leaders, and government officials. One of the co-hosts for the event was Mashable.com, a blog-turned popular news site that is gaining respect in the world of information and communication technology. Mashable’s steady traction in the social media world is no surprise given its popularity among techies. Mashable’s partnership with the UN however, is quite unique considering the UN only recently launched an initiative to communicate its work to a broader audience through social media. “Our mission is to help the United Nations tell its story,” said Aaron Sherinian, spokesman for the United Nations Foundation. “Power is shifting, and we want to help the U.N. break out of its walls and engage with the people who want to engage with them.”[1]
As an organization that is dedicated to helping people from all demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds, Sherinian’s point of using social media to help the UN “ break out of its walls and engage with the people who want to engage with them” raises the question of who exactly the foundation is targeting with its social media presence. It seems as if the UN foundation’s social media presence online will only widen the gap between the haves and the have-not’s or better yet, the voiced and the voiceless. Although social media is becoming a standard tool for engagement in the developed world, more attention needs to be given to eradicating the digital divide among citizens in developing nations who do not have access to these technologies. Shouldn't they be engaged too?
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/business/media/mashable-once-a-one-man-blog-gains-clout-in-social-media.html?hpw
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