New and Digital media #13

The new social entrepreneurs: young and improving the world

Solving social problems rather than getting rich is the priority for tomorrow's ambitious entrepreneurs
New horizons: social change is the primary driver for many young people. Photograph: Alamy

Technology has levelled the playing field, opening up remarkable opportunities for young people. According to a Populus survey, more than a quarter of 16- to 25-year-olds want to set up their own business, and 14% are in the process of doing so, compared with 8% only a year ago.

But there is something else at play here, another trend emerging. For many of these new digital entrepreneurs, the primary objective is to improve the world rather than their own bank balance. They are looking for radical solutions to social problems rather than creating a product or service that will make them a stash of cash.

That doesn't mean their aims are any less ambitious. Take 22-year-old Aaron Jones, whose goal is universal access to education. He has set up the multi-award winning Fikay, a lifestyle brand all about successful living and giving. It produces fashion accessories using recycled cement bags, employs co-operatives and members of fair-trade organisations and, for every purchase made, Fikay donates to educational building projects in south east Asia.

Fikay has already helped to build one school in Cambodia with plans for many more to follow. "Why," says Aaron, "do some children have the right to an education while others don't? Fikay is my adventure and mission to change this."

A new generation of digital makers is heavily emerging, but more exciting is the fact that a lot of young people are using their digital skills to tackle social challenges such as education, healthcare, human rights and social isolation. Currently new social technology entrepreneurs are about action instead of talk, as there are offers by apps for good. which provides support for young people who want to design apps that will improve their world. Such as the person who invented Flappy bird which went viral worldwide. The digital technology is the most powerful technology up to date, and the future will consists of people tackling complex social challenges.