Control Social Media Before It Controls You

About Ayah Bdeir

Ayah Bdeir is an entrepreneur, engineer, and social activist. She is the inventor of littleBits, the electronic building block that has transformed STEM education for millions of kids around the world. For over a decade, Bdeir's work has centered around empowering everyone to be an inventor — by modularizing and democratizing electronics, by pioneering new ways of learning through play, and by reimagining the relationship between technology and creativity. Bdeir has been particularly focused on empowering underrepresented communities, especially girls, with the tools to become tomorrow's changemakers. In recognition of her work, Bdeir has received numerous awards, including BBC 100 Most Influential Women and a TED fellowship, and she has appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. Her inventions are included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and she holds over a dozen patents. Bdeir graduated from the MIT Media Lab and the American University of Beirut. She is from Beirut, Lebanon, and lives and works in New York.

About the class

Social media is a powerful force in all of our lives, with many notable downsides but also, if consumed critically, lots of potential to connect you to people and opportunities. In this class, technology entrepreneur and inventor Ayah Bdeir will show teenagers how social media works—for users, for creators and influencers, and for the companies themselves—how to use it to your advantage, and how to avoid the issues of depression and distraction that are so prevalent among young people. Take control of social media by understanding how it works and how it can work for you.