The youth of today represent a very powerful generation, especially thanks to the development of digital and social media. It’s a generation of eager individuals who not only want to understand the issues and challenges of the world they live in, but also want to take action to be able to make a difference and create change for the better. Growing up in a social and digital world opens doors to connect with others and drive change.
When I was younger, creating change took a certain form. I reflect back on the image of a young girl hoping to get her parents help with her self-run, neighborhood bake stand, wanting to raise money to help buy toys for children in need for the holidays. Just a small gesture, trying to make as big a difference in the world.
Then I moved on to volunteer as a candy striper, in a local hospital, thinking that I could work to make a difference for those dealing with illness. But I was just one person. My reach in helping others could only go as far as the neighborhood I lived in or the hospital I volunteered at.
Now that I reflect upon the young generation of today, I am energized not only by the passion they have for creating change, but also for the ability to come together via social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to build a digital community of supporters (with no help needed from their parents either).
As a director in the Corporate Equity department, my enthusiasm for youth-generated social movements has grown even more with the release of Donate a Photo, the latest free app from Johnson & Johnson. Donate a Photo takes an action young people do every day and turns it into a way to do good. For every photo uploaded through the Donate a Photo app, Johnson & Johnson donates a dollar to one of our non-profit partners.* Donate a Photo is at the intersection of how young people are using technology to share with their friends and their underlying desire to get involved with helping important causes.
One of the causes currently being showcased on Donate a Photo is the United Nations Foundation campaign, Girl Up. Their mission is simple: uniting girls to change the world. They envision a world where all girls, no matter where they live, have the opportunity to become educated, healthy, safe, counted and positioned to be the next generation of leaders.
I was able to grow up knowing that receiving an education was a given in my life. It wasn’t until later that I realized the impact that having an education (or not) can have on one’s life, especially for girls and women. By sharing a photo once a day, teens are helping girls in Liberia get an education by the donations generated and by spreading the word through their social networks. Pretty cool.
By supporting Girl Up, I can proudly say that Johnson & Johnson is supporting a program that enables the youth of today to help bring greater opportunities, like education, to girls around the world who are in need. As part of this ongoing desire to engage the youth of today, Johnson & Johnson is continuing to work with our partners, like the UN Foundation, to further incorporate this passion to “do good” into other social media campaigns.
Bake stands are no longer limited to street corners. Volunteerism is no longer confined by the organizations or hospitals that are located in your neighborhood. Digital and social media are making the world smaller, and the youth of today are embracing this with open arms, coming together to give back to the world.
*Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.
Susan Can began her career with Johnson & Johnson in 1999 and joined the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Equity Group as Director in February 2011. In her current role, Susan leads Johnson and Johnson digital strategy for the group and oversees several US and Global cross-sector partnerships. Susan’s current areas of focus include mobile health and digital philanthropy. Susan is passionate about the opportunity mobile technology brings to health management and education.