Building Communities.

I grew up along side the internet. I have watched it go from static pages to new media platforms with mind-blowing designs and uses. It's so amazing to me the innovation of it all and how we are continuing to take great strides to become as cutting edge as possible.

But, honestly, none of that matters.

Advanced or not, what matters is how we use all of these platforms- from traditional writing to films & music- to further develop the communities we already have, build new ones and maintain the healthy relationships that we need.

Communities aren't just the set group of people around you. Dictionary.com defines community as:

"a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect..."

That means your Youtube subscribers, your Twitter followers, and your Facebook fans & friends are all seperate communities. How are you building them up? How are you showing them to build others?

"Social media isn't a fad, it's a fundamental shift in the way we communicate" -Socialnomics09

This quote is so undeniably true yet so few have actually realized it. While corporate giants and most adults are using social media as a cash cow, today's youth have understood this principle and have put it into practice.

From fundraisers to empowering meetups the youth are finding new and innovative ways to better their communities... and they are not going to stop.

How are you- adult or youth -helping to create a better tomorrow?

If you're stuck and don't have an answer to that question click HERE to vote and hear more on this topic at SxSW.