Each community has a different set of problems and solutions. Although it seems like these communities have very little, they are somehow able to create so much. How do you create something of tremendous value with few or no resources?
I decided the answer lies in how you define “resources.” Resources can come in many forms, and can include a skill, a brick, a contact, an hour to spare, an idea, a meeting space, or some money to spend. Anything at your disposal is considered a resource.
When you do not have a lot, you need to use what you have to create something you want. Ask a friend, refine a skill, and perhaps, learn a new skill. This is what happens in the low income communities of Rio. Individuals rely on their connectivity and individual resources to overcome the obstacles of an impoverished life.
Theoretically, a large social network will increase your chances to obtain the resources you need to solve problems. And, what better way to increase your social network than through technology?
Computer lab in Favela Maré
Not too many years ago, Brazil was experiencing a digital divide. Not only between those with technology and those without it, but between those who knew how to use the technology and those who did not. Realizing its value, many have taken the time to learn. Increased accessibility has also encouraged its use. Today, millions of people are connected through various social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Orkut, LinkedIn, CouchSurfing, Flickr, Meetup.com, MySpace, Conversation Exchange, and WiserEarth, just to name a few.
Where would we be today, if we didn’t log in somewhere to see what the rest of the world was doing? We thrive on the resources being loaned to us by others. Songs, movies, news, photos, advice, instructions, recipes, reviews, and more – you name it.
Just yesterday, Google’s e-mail service was down for one hour and 45 minutes. All of a sudden its 36 million users didn’t know what to do! They started creating posts such as “5 Things to Do While Gmail is Down.” As the author mentions, “If we can’t laugh at our own dependency on social media, what indeed can we laugh at?”
But social networks are great and they have immense value. They are the vehicle for exchange, sharing, and development. Progress can be achieved with few or no resources. It’s just all about how you define it.
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Sometimes resources are inspirational thinking. Here’s one I love:
“ You never change things by fighting the existing Reality.
To change something, build a new Model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Buckminster Fuller
Miranda
Tacogirl, thanks a lot! Yea, it’s crazy how quickly people get used to and then take for granted simple pleasures. Admittedly, I too, would be lost without the internet…
Mom, do you have Bill Gates phone number? Maybe we should give him a ring…
When confronting challenges, particularly new challenges, it is important to make use of all of your social ties. If an individual within your in-group cannot find the resources to solve a problem, it is likely that someone else in an out-group can offer advice or assistance. The internet acts as a tool. It has the potential to aid in maintaining the members in your in-group and to increase the number of members in your out-group. But for those without internet, the old fashioned ways of staying connected still apply. Technology helps with the speed of dissemination, but word of mouth, newspapers, and showing up also get the job done! There are so many ways to get involved and to provide resources.
Great read.
Our friend was just visiting from Canada and saying how slow the internet was here, I have forgotten what it is like to have a super fast connection and just glad if it works more often than not.
So how do we make ourselves available as a resource if people don’t have access to technology? We need to get Bill Gates involved…