SESSION CONSIDERS SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT, FUTURE
(Belfast, Northern Ireland)-It was ironic, and poignant, that my first presentation in Belfast this month was at the Girdwood Community Hub, a former army barracks during the Troubles repurposed as a community center.

At the event sponsored by Belfast Metropolitan College, I spoke briefly about social media and peace journalism. I led off with an interesting stat, a poll showing that only 22% of Northern Irish trust social media. My message was that social media can better serve the public, and peace, using peace journalism principles.

In a vibrant discussion after my talk, the most difficult question thrown my way asked me to predict the future of social media. My “glass half empty” response was that social media will increasingly empower demagogues and authoritarian regimes. My “glass half full” response was that an increasingly media literate public will use social media as a tool to build bridges and facilitate dialogues for peace.

I was also asked to predict the 2016 US presidential election, which I did.

My presentation was part of a conference at BelfastMet that introduced participants, many of whom work with disadvantaged youth, to a program called Live Skills, which helps young people develop careers in fields using digital technologies (creative media, digital art and design, and digital marketing).