Some thoughts on digital media

As I am writing these lines, I am slowly, but steadily moving home towards the east. I am on a train, enjoying one of the biggest miracles there is in life: Mobile internet! Being a little bit old school, I don’t even take such things as wireless internet in public places for granted. I tend to think of the Internet as a luxury good not always available (which of course it still is in many parts of the world) – so just sitting on a train, plugging in a small stick and enjoying the mercy of instant messaging, surfing and of course blogging, is nearly too good to be true for me.

“Oh no, another random rambling that has nothing to do with the Olympics”, you might exclaim. Au contraire, mes chers (Too bad I can’t throw around more of these French terms). Because with the great Culture and Education Program (CEP) the young athletes will experience in Singapore, one of the five pillars is digital media. In a wide array of workshops, hands-on experience and discussions, the youngsters will learn more about using digital media, sharing ideas, visions and data, but also avoiding risks and threats.

I believe that this is really a very good initiative since it is at the cutting edge of our modern life. After all, it is nearly certain that the use of digital media will increase even more in the near future. So for the teens of today, fluency in digital media will be a non-negotiable requirement. I mean, it indeed has many benefits. For instance, time and distances became only a minor issue when dealing with the internet. I can sit in my room in St. Poelten, Austria, having a conversation going on with one of my new friends – Elise from Australia, Erin from the US, Shannon from Papua Newguinea, Jed from Singapore – and it will happen in real time, although they are thousands of miles away.

Also for the athletes, the use of the different social media platforms will be crucial, not only for their personal life, but also for their career. In the near future, after growing out of the YOG and into the traditional Olympics, our youngsters will have a considerable amount of fans, appreciating their excellence with friendship and respect. So what better way is there than using digital media to give something back to your fans? A nice picture, some words of thank you or even a tiny video – all those things are easily done (when you know how to do them!) and can have a great impact.

Of course there are thousands of examples of how you can benefit from digital media (It goes without saying that there are also plenty of risks, which I promise I will address in the future!). However, I guess the underlying message is that by using digital media, our youngsters have a possibility to make themselves heard. And with the CEP just about to start, I think it is our duty and privilege to provide them the tools to make their voices heard!