Youth shaping new dynamics of communication

When intellectuals, experts, and visionaries come together to share their ideas on how the world of media is changing, there are takeaways.

I closely followed the three-day conference programme on artificial intelligence (AI) revolution present and future recently organised by the Mass Communication Department of Sultan Qaboos University’s College of Arts. While interested in learning about new approaches to AI in media, I paid more attention to students’ involvement with the event.

As with most conferences, not all presentations were innovative, but they provided diverse perspectives. Interestingly, a participant pointed out that academics portrayed AI as an obstacle. The observation showed how limited some scholars view the shifting of the media environment.

As the conference ended, I reflected on human capital and the digital economy. I felt optimistic as the gathering served as a real-world laboratory for ambitious media professionals and freelancers.

Watching boys and girls interact with one another and with guests while creating media content as a result of presentations, I witnessed an improvement in their knowledge, abilities, and attitudes.

I observed how far journalism and media education have advanced in Oman over the last 15 years. From timid to audacious and adventurous behaviours, boys and girls are shaping a new dynamic of communication and socialisation. These qualities are advantageous as Oman develops its own generative AI model based on cultural and historical content. Within this context, 100 young Omanis are to be trained in artificial intelligence, with sessions held in both Oman and China.

The Internet has become the backbone of the entire economy and a necessity for individuals. It has turned into a socialised experience, with young people watching, reading, or listening to whatever they want, whenever they like.

The increasingly commercialised nature of web technologies has demonstrated that information has become the number one commodity, with digital capitalism acting as the centre of economic and social activities. Young people have nurtured new opportunities for relatively open forms of self-expression, relative economic empowerment, and global connectedness.

Since 2011, social media has expanded significantly in the region. Youth swiftly adopted social media sites, but older generations and governments were slow to accept them, citing dismissive tendencies, general scepticism, and technophobia. More recently, governments have not only accelerated their engagement with social media and implemented technological improvements but also encouraged education.

In addition to the social and cultural changes and challenges young people face, particularly those coming from highly conservative backgrounds, they are subject to competing and often conflicting messages from their parents, educational institutions, the television industry, and the interlaced economic, technological, and cultural forces of globalisation. They recognise, however, that media and technology are powerful instruments, and they are eager to explore them.

Young people have become considerably more aware of the world, and Omani youth are no exception. They have recognised that they are at the centre of discussions concerning education, consumerism, and socialisation. They feel empowered by an ever-expanding set of technologies that enable them to commercialise their creativity and engage in various global issues.

As information and communication technologies have become “natural" components of the current social world, the distinction between real and virtual is meshed. We live in a hybrid society that is increasingly virtual as innovations broaden our views and bring transformations.

Their interactions with the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence have crossed the traditional boundaries of genre and immediacy. This presents a challenge to the conventional top-down approach of socialising. The youth are active actors in cultural changes.

Yet, to better assess the Omani youth culture, we need to explore their complex relationship with the media and the use of technologies. Studies suggest that Omani youth spend up to 15 hours each day on social platforms.