BY JANET MUMGBAY ZIZER
The International Youth Day celebrates the passion, energy, resilient and powerful contributions of young people in shaping the world. This day cheers up the voices, actions, initiatives of young people and their meaningful engements and also recognizes the importance of youth participation in the political, economic, and social and processes of society.This year’s theme ‘’ from clicks to progress; Youth’s digital pathways for sustainable development’’ implies, celebrating young people’s contributions on youth day can ignite the urge of other young people for further innovation and collaboration in making the world a better place.
According to the UN Report Youth can be a positive force for development when provided with the requisite knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive. Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population. By 2030—the target data for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda—the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7% to nearly 1.3 billion. These disparities persist particularly in low income countries  and among young women who often have less access to the internet and digital skills compared to their male counterparts. However this is an urgent concern for digital inclusion.As technology improves the lives of people, it also reveals culture, ways of lives, heritages, society’s many fault lines. Issues such as human trafficking, terrorism, and poverty affect the many facets of life and spill over borders through social media.
Like many countries in Africa, Sierra Leone’s youths have managed to sell out their country’s rich and beautiful ecosystem in the world through their mobile phones using tiktok.Featuring the excellence of young people in the digital space is Juliet Konya Sesay Popularly known as ‘juju jeks ‘A renowned female content creator in Sierra Leone who started her tiktik journey in 2019 with  the advent of tiktok,Using her tecno phone during her first year at the university, being a female tiktok president she has faced a lot of challenges, people called her such names as an idler, discriminated her being a female etc
However for those who follow her content can see that her content varies and hinges on advocacy, awareness to other young folks on kush and youthful lifestyle, and comedy that put smiles in the faces of people and promote Sierra Leone’s rich culture globally.
She uses such contact to manage get income that helped her throughout her university days, catters for her and her family through her ambassadorial deals and adverts.
Young people are digital natives. Through their digital networks they are not just connecting to millions but bringing social change and benefiting the disadvantaged in society.
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