SXSW 2018 Takeaway: Unity Through Technology and Content

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The Interactive Festival at SXSW 2018 was an incredible experience to say the least. When we embarked on this journey a lot of us had no idea what we were in for but we knew this would be something special.  I arrived on my first day with my backpack filled to the brim with all the items I was told to bring including all the extra battery chargers plus the additional items I convinced myself I needed to pack. We all need three things of Chapstick and five mechanical pencils, right? As silly as it sounds, slowly as the week progressed those physical items I packed diminished as I filled my brain with new thoughts, new inspirations, and new connections. SXSW truly brings out the most creative thinkers, go-getters, and doers in the world. From Ira Glass to Elon Musk, we saw them all this week.

Throughout the week, sessions abounded in all different industries, touching on all different topics. The future of technology is not only exciting but also different for each industry. I found myself gravitating a lot more towards sessions and discussions surrounding political and social unity. How can tech help change the world for the better? What we can do right now with our own resources to not only inspire but create change? Can the content you create bring about social good? The answer is yes and the ways in which we implement technology and quality content is never ending. When you are looking at the SXSW schedule and you see 300 panels/sessions/discussions/workshops, you think, “where do I even start?” The nice thing is, you will always be where you need to be. You will hear what you need to hear. I guess a little fate is involved on this one. Each room I walked into had me sitting in on a similar underlining theme: bringing about unity within an often divided world. This was summed up perfectly when I saw the “This is Us” panel and Mandy Moore said it best:

What we say and do, the things we create, the technology we implement all have the power to bring about unity rather than division. And this week inspired me to continue to focus on just that. While my experience was not filled with the typical SXSW catchphrases of being a disrupter, an innovator, or think outside the box-er. I do think this underlining theme of unity does continue to inspire all of us to disrupt, create, innovate, and break the mold.  It also forces us to have those discussions around the topics we tend to avoid or do not want to share. There is always something we have in common and its our jobs to not only find it but create the access to voice it.

Below is a short video featuring of some of my highlights from the week:

Music by The Prairie Scholars

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