The etymology of the word “education” revolves around the ideas of growth, morals, leadership and potential. Indeed, the aim of education - or at least formal schooling - has never deviated much from such concepts. This is easily reflected through the school mottos of many secondary and tertiary institutions, quote: Anderson Junior College “Non Mihi Solum (Latin: Not for Myself Alone)”. However, with the new age of post-truth, wired with technology and divided by difference, the lines of what an educated person really is - is increasingly blurred.
The traditional notion of an “educated person” being one who has went through formal education (for a certain number of years) is becoming inadequate. Mathematical formulae and basic grammar are no longer enough to future-proof young people against the challenges coming their way. The threat of artificial intelligence taking over people’s livelihoods and the evolution of social media are amongst the wide spectrum of challenges that will persist over the next few years, which young people must be prepared to overcome.
Hence, to truly be an educated person would require the young people to extend their knowledge beyond their textbooks, and learn social skills and to understand the importance of upgrading
It is undeniable that social media has evolved at a rapid pace and it is estimated that 2.77 billion people will be on social media by 2019. Almost one-third of the world’s population will be on social media in 2019, suggesting that social media has a defining role to play in the early 21st century and that it wields a strong influence globally, with ASEAN states being no exception. In fact, young people are especially keen towards social media, with more than 1.5 billion youths using social media in just Asia-Pacific itself in