Pusat Belia Youth-PREP Alamesra – Sabah

“Connect To Change” was the theme for this year’s annual arts festival. It talks about the active involvement of youths today with the social media. A public forum moderated by our local social media personality, Jasmine Rajah talked about the realities of connectivity to social media and how youths can apply it in making positive changes.

Speaking as a parent and senior in active civil society movements, Puan Norhanida Annol urged everyone to be aware that being connected also means being exposed, so it is crucial to be prudent, careful and critical while being connected. Adam Tambakau, a web developer said “People need to experience social media by understanding how it works including the pros, cons and particularly the harm it might bring to us. Do speak out to someone when the situation gets dangerous to you. Overcoming the negativity that you receive somehow will give you courage; just remember to trust your own ability and the good intention in whatever you are doing”.

Bavhithira Chelvakumar, a psychology and counselling Masters student from Unversiti Malaysia Sabah, felt that youths nowadays are more confident in expressing themselves especially since the existence of social media which is helpful for people who are introverts. She further commented that it is also a boost to a person’s self-esteem when they use this platform to inspire others. The event was held at the Oceanus Waterfront Mall, Kota Kinabalu on Saturday, 24th October. †