How can the youth today break through the cross-cultural boundaries that exist through the most powerful networking resource in the world: social media! Participants were given the chance to introduce themselves to their fellow peers and voice where in the world they would want to visit. By doing this they were able to identify the countries they would likely choose to communicate with.
Participants were asked to break up in groups to discuss questions to get them thinking about how it is possible to use social media to break cross-cultural boundaries with their global peers. For example, what does the youth need to be aware of when communicating with other cultures? Particular social norms, technological differences, and communication barriers, etc.? Afterwards each group was asked to present to the workshop what they had brainstormed, and how they answered the question.

Participants really opened their minds to ideas and were able to effectively collaborate to share what they believe are barriers and how they can be overcome to help promote cross cultural communication. Social media networks are the most popular, successful, and widely used ways to communicate today. If cross-cultural barriers can be broken down youth across the world can work collaboratively to promote global awareness and be able to learn more about one another’s culture.

This was one of the most beneficial workshops that I have attended the entire Global Summit. There really is no better way to promote cross-cultural communication than through social media networking. I was not able to blog about the individual groups who presented their response to the questions because my computer went dead but I was amazed at how innovative the participants were with the strategies they to break down barriers and build communication.