SXSW: Cory Booker’s ‘random act of kindess’ in Austin

Newark Mayor Cory Booker commanded a standing ovation following a keynote, which captured a theme that has run through many of the talks at SXSW – how social media can, and should be harnessed for the greater good.

A series of humorous case studies (nicely summarised on TIME’s write up) illustrated how random acts of kindness in the social sphere cannot be underestimated, and the results of which can drive positive change in a way that only social media can help achieve.

With more followers on his Twitter feed than citizens in the state of Newark, Cory Booker explained “I can get more consumer impressions in one tweet than I could if I got coverage in my State newspaper.” He urged us all to leverage the communities we have cultivated on social media to make people do good things. Simple. This echoed YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley’s comments yesterday in his interview with Kevin Rose about how unselfish, collaborative content solutions are the only future for social media if millennial’s are to save themselves from tumbling into a world of digital self-indulgence.

So lets nip this in the bud and question “what act of kindness am I going to do today?”