Could VR content boost empathy for the environment?
CategoriesSustainable News

Could VR content boost empathy for the environment?

Spotted: It’s vital that young people learn about global warming and the importance of living more sustainably. Without climate change literacy, many won’t be able to adapt to the economic and environmental impacts of climate change. This is especially the case in Africa, where countries are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. Now, one startup is changing how young people learn about the dangers of climate change and plastic pollution through virtual reality (VR). 

Ukwenza VR is a startup based in Kenya that offers educational VR content for classrooms and extracurricular learning. The startup’s VR experience transports students to realistic digital simulations of environments affected by plastic pollution and climate change. Students witness virtual representations of polluted water bodies, littered streets, and devastated habitats in Kenya and beyond, showing them the impact of plastic waste on marine life, land animals, and human health through the VR headsets.  

The startup works with schools and educators to create and deliver content that meets learning standards that serve the community. Ukwenza mainly focuses on schools from low-income areas that cannot access such digital opportunities – where communities are most affected by plastic pollution and accumulated sewage and garbage. 

Leveraging corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and other funders, Ukwenza can deliver VR experiences to public schools that would otherwise be unable to afford them. In private schools, by contrast, Ukwenza works with parents who pay a subscription for students to access the content.

As the world becomes increasingly environmentally conscious, it’s essential that young people grow up with an awareness of why and how they can also make a difference. Springwise has spotted many innovators finding ways to educate young people, including by using Minecraft and fairytales to better explain sustainability issues.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

Software automatically analyses the diversity of media content
CategoriesSustainable News

Software automatically analyses the diversity of media content

Spotted: Ceretai is a diversity tech startup on a mission to make the world a more inclusive and tolerant place. It does this by helping media companies monitor and improve the diversity of their content.

At its core, Ceretai believes that the media we consume has a direct impact on our values and beliefs. That’s why the startup is on a mission to create a ‘more equal and tolerant world by promoting conscious production and consumption of media and entertainment.’ In other words, Ceretai believes that the media we consume should reflect the diversity of our world, and that by increasing diversity and equality in the media, we can create a more inclusive society.

Ceretai’s Diversity Dashboard allows media companies to track gender representation, age distribution, and different measures of portrayal in their content. It also offers customised diversity reports and workshops for media executives. In addition, the company offers tailor-made services that allow companies to closely follow developments over time and evaluate the outcome of diversity initiatives.

Since its foundation, Ceretai has strived to ‘enable audiences to choose movies or books based on their values and to create awareness around how people who don’t fit the norm—such as women, people of colour, and homosexuals—are actually portrayed in the culture we consume.”

Since then, the startup has partnered with some of the largest streaming platforms and media companies – among their partners and clients are the BBC, Forbes, NDR, and Tagesschau. And as the demand for diverse content continues to grow, Ceretai is positioned to play a crucial role in shaping the future of media.

At Springwise we have spotted several innovations that are focused on boosting the quality and reducing the divisiveness of the content we consume. These include a media analysis platform that rates bias and reliability, an app and Chrome extension that contextualises news articles, and a crowdsourced website that helps readers find evidence-based information.

Written By: Katrina Lane

Email: hello@ceretai.com

Website: ceretai.com

Reference