While some misuse social media for cyberbullying, stalking and sexual hunting, others use these online platforms to bring about a positive change. One such example is the youth-led organisation, Youth Online Learning Organisation (YOLO), that runs campaigns and projects on social media platforms to create an engaging and informative online community.
A joint venture of two organisations (Social Media Matters by Amitabh Kumar and NGO Sarvahitey by Prem Prakash), YOLO offers the youth opportunities to hone their leadership and technical skills. “It all started after the lockdown in March, when lots of fake news began travelling on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, and we wanted to do something about it,” says Kumar.
“We started creating hyper-local Facebook groups to provide information on Corona. We recruited volunteers, primarily from colleges in Delhi NCR, and trained them in finding information and verifying it,” he adds. Applying the same methodology, YOLO soon spread its wings across India and recruited volunteers from each district. And by September their focus area changed from Covid to online safety, misinformation and fake news. Kumar informs that posts on fake jobs and internships have grown manifold in the pandemic, and it is important to make people, especially the youth, aware.
The huge network of hyper-local Facebook and WhatsApp groups makes it easier to sift out the fake news andjob frauds, he says. The organisation works on a fixed theme each month, like Safety September, Online October, No Hate November and Digital Parenting December.
YOLO not just inducts volunteers, but also empowers them with various skills.
Each volunteer is inducted under a formal internship programme that requires them to do research, write blogs and create videos and memes on the month’s theme.
E-conclaves and workshops are also held to educate them further.
“At any given time, there are 250 interns working with us, about 15 from Delhi,” notes Kumar. So far, over 1,000 have interned with YOLO. For Kumar and Prakash, setting up YOLO was easy as both have been working in social sector for a few years.
Kumar, an expert in online safety and cyber policy, had been conducting physical workshops on online safety (abuse and hate speech, cyber bullying, body shaming, financial frauds, fake jobs/internships) and digital parenting under the banner of Social Media Matters, and thus had a huge online presence. And Prakash, who had been working for the development of marginalised communities, had a large physical network.
“We use social media for social good, and creating a better world. Youngsters spend a lot of time on it. So, it’s a fight between what gets their attention — hate or love, negative or positive,” says Prakash, adding that in all there are 739 facebook groups, which are democratic and inclusive entities, with over 75 per cent participation of women.
“We sensitise youth on the ills that ail the society, and hope that they will carry the flame forward,” he adds