Part of what’s difficult is our incredible access to vast amounts of information through current technology. Most people with smartphones engage with people or content on social media every single day; and what’s on those platforms? Hurricanes in the Caribbean, economic despair in Sri Lanka, political unrest across the United States. Sure, there are “made me smile” stories as well—but that’s not featured as heavily in the company’s algorithms. It’s impossible for one single person to navigate all this information and help with everything. We are biologically wired to thrive in small social groups, not among billions and masses, and the sheer size of the Earth and all its diversity makes helping everyone everywhere all the time an insurmountable task. This can feel disenfranchising.

The solution is two fold: with our technology, we have the ability to organize in larger groups and design the parameters of a structured conversation about our problems. Social media does not represent this today, but we can alter how we communicate instantaneously across the globe. If we can do that, we can assess our most widespread challenges and prioritize them, so that we can act intentionally collectively. Second, we can choose our sphere of influence. We can follow our passions to help people the best we can within the realms of the things we most care about. It’s possible for us to do this. We can change the world.