What is the Role of Technology in Community Building
It is clear that now more than ever, we need to pull together in our communities. Financial strains, emotional and mental stress, and everything else that has come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have meant that more people are struggling with daily life. Communities around the globe are having to go the extra mile to support each other.
Thankfully, the role of technology in community building is becoming increasingly effective. This technology allows communities to communicate, collaborate, participate, and track any and all community development goals. Additionally, technology can be used to advertise the assets of a community and attract new members, whether citizens or tourists.
Just look at how technology has helped us during the pandemic. Children go to school online, people work from home, families keep in touch via social media and messenger apps, governments are using technology to raise awareness, track COVID cases, and provide vital information.
Another example of technology helping to build economies is our Nomos app. By now you will know how time banking is an enormous benefit to communities but through technology such as our app, it allows time bank communities to manage, collaborate, and communicate with each other on projects, or when swapping time for credits or vice versa.
Our app also allows you to find time banks in your area, create your own time bank, or recruit new members. All members can use the app to offer and request work or services. It also records the swapping of time for credits, which allows for easy management and organisation.
The Role of Technology in Community Building
Technology now plays a big part in so many areas of the community, and as it continues to develop, it will have an even bigger impact. The internet and mobile phone technologies, in particular, have improved how we go about many tasks, so much so that we could not imagine a world without either.
Traditional methods and tools still play a huge part in building communities but technology and the tools it has helped to create, enable us to enjoy more convenience, functionality, and efficient way to handle many tasks. For instance, communication is faster, it makes it easier to organise and manage groups of people, and the technology provides more employment opportunities.
There are tons of other examples of how technology helps communities, too. The technology that we have has helped in so many areas of community building. Below are just some of the areas of the community that technology has, and continues to help.
Technology Supports Learning
Although technology has had a big role to play in education over the last couple of decades now more than ever, it is showing how effective it can be. Many schools, colleges, and universities around the world are unable to accept students due to COVID-19 restrictions, but technology allows them to provide online tutoring.
Teachers can join conference calls with their students and use collaboration software and other online tools to teach. Cloud storage apps store course work, email and messengers allow for the sending of files, and students have access to the information superhighway known as the internet for their research.
Outside of schools and colleges, people can sign up for online courses and complete them in their own time. Somebody who works may not have the time to take evening classes or to travel to an educational institution. With technology, they can plan for themselves how to complete the course in their own time from home.
Technology Helps to Raise Awareness
When issues need addressing in our communities, the first step is to bring awareness to those issues. The more people that know about these issues, the more people will do their bit to help. Social media platforms, forums, websites, and other digital platforms make it easier to reach people and make them aware.
Awareness helps to attract donations, those that want to volunteer their services to the community, and a general togetherness from the community.
One great example of how technology helps to raise awareness is the many crowdfunding platforms that enable people to raise money for special causes. Any cause small or large can reach hundreds and thousands of people and raise money in a short space of time.
Technology Aids Collaboration
Modern technology also allows like-minded people to come together more conveniently than before. Conference calls on messengers such as Skype and Zoom allow people to bounce ideas off each other.
Communities no longer need to hold meetings in public, even if a physical meeting is the preferred option. People can be in the same place even when they are not. This makes it a great option for those times when emergency meetings are required or there is not the time or availability for people to get somewhere in person.
Technology Helps an Economy to Grow
Think people working from home, freelancers that use the internet to source and complete work, or online businesses. Technology gives people the ability to earn in ways that were previously not available.
For those working from home, they have the tools needed to keep in touch with and work alongside their colleagues as if they were in the same room. For freelancers, they have the tools, platforms, and apps to attract new clients, complete projects, and advertise their services. Online businesses have websites, social media profiles, and advertising channels they can use to bring in the customers.
None of this would be possible without modern technology such as the internet, Wi-Fi, and mobile technology.
Technology Helps Unemployment
We already touched on how the internet creates employment but it also provides support and resources for people looking for work. Job seekers have the ability to look for work online using employment agencies or applying directly.
Many early stages of employment interviews use technology as well. Applicants send their resume in digital form, answer questions issued by chatbots, and there are apps that can test an applicant’s ability to do the job required.
As technology continues to evolve, its role and how it is used for community building is only going to increase in the years ahead. Virtual reality and augmented reality are two technologies that will make an impact.
The tourism industry, for example, can use this technology to take people on virtual tours to help them decide to come in person. It could help the real estate industry too in the same way. Virtual tours of homes give homebuyers the convenience of viewing a property without having to travel long distances.
Get Involved with Our Time Bank Technology
Why not take advantage of the Nomos app and discover for yourself how technology is helping to build communities? Start your own time bank or find others in your area to enrol with. Help others and earn credits you can use to request help from others! Do your bit for the community and the community will do its bit for you.