By defining our own humanity, Roman Gerodimos believes we can navigate the complexities of the digital age to drive positive change
Terming it the “virtuous cycle of efficacy”, Roman Gerodimos is confident that “When you believe in your ability to make a difference [and] when you think that your actions have meaning, then you are more likely to participate. By doing that, you achieve a positive social change, and it gives you more motivation to continue engaging."
Speaking to an audience of over 85 participants at the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change, Roman delivered a reassuring message of hope and determination for the annual Bailey Morris-Eck Lecture.
As a professor at Bournemouth University and a longtime faculty member of the Media Academy, Roman explored what it means to be human. He questioned how we define ourselves as individuals in an age where we are surrounded by machines and technology, a topic that fit this year’s Media Academy theme of “Belonging in the Age of Machines: Reimagining the Soul of Media”.
Presence, agency, and community
Roman identified three aspects that, in his view, make up each human being. The first aspect, presence, entails being actively engaged in the world around us. “This could mean stopping to smell the flowers or immersing yourself in a good book. Be attentive and intentional. Presence is about time and how limited it is. Being present also means being there for others,” Roman emphasized.
The second aspect is agency, which refers to the capacity of individuals, particularly young people, to make their own independent choices in shaping their lives. This involves having the power to influence one’s future rather than being controlled by external factors.
Roman reflected on the dire conditions that some young people around the world experience, including poverty and conflict, which deprive them of the sense of safety, playing, and learning that should accompany childhood and youth. Even young people who are in less extreme scenarios face “existential anxiety, mental health issues, and uncertainty” about what the future may hold. He highlighted the enormous pressure and expectations that this puts on young people, when in reality, “it is through failure, trial, and error that we learn and grow”.
Community, the third factor Roman identified, stems from the fact that each person has a fundamental human need to belong to a social group and feel connected to others. He elaborated that we simultaneously experience a need for respect and a fear of rejection. Thinking about the effect that digital technology has on these needs, he elaborated, “The tragic irony in this age is that we have in our disposal the greatest collection of means of communication in human history, yet we feel more profoundly lonely and powerless”.
Questioning new technologies
Roman shared that the recent emergence of technologies like artificial intelligence contributes to a feeling of inadequacy among young people, as they question their value in the modern working world.
Roman recommended asking the following questions to evaluate the status of new technologies. First, does it help us be more present or does it drain our energy and time? Second, does it empower us or diminish our sense of agency? Third, does it instill genuine fear or subjugate us? Fourth, does it foster and sustain a sense of community, or does it erode the social fabric? Lastly, does it align with our core values and add meaning and purpose to our lives, or does it detract from them? Asking ourselves these questions as we choose whether to integrate new technologies into our lives is becoming increasingly urgent.
Embracing the learning process
Roman stressed that building anything in this digital era often involves failure at first. His key advice was to embrace the effort, struggle, and the learning process. He encouraged young people not to skip steps, as doing so only hinders their personal growth. “We learn not when we shield ourselves from uncomfortable feelings and experiences, but when we step outside of our comfort zone,” suggested Roman.
We need to create relational spaces for young people to play, experiment, and fail, which Roman believes that the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change has the power to do. “We're only here for two and a half weeks, and within that short period, we see an amazing shift in people’s own self-image and how they relate to each other. For me, the Media Academy is a place of hope because it manages to make a huge difference in people's lives within such a short period of time.”
Read the full transcript of the lecture here.
The Bailey Morris-Eck Lecture is an annual lecture on international media, economics, and trade which was established in 2004 through the generosity of former Salzburg Global Board of Directors member Bailey Morris-Eck and her family.
