Abdel-Kader Ben-Mohamed, Ph.D., assistant professor of management and chair of Mercy’s Department of Undergraduate Business, has started a positive online engagement platform after being struck by the long amount of time his students spend following the minutiae of celebrities and friends and learning about the atmosphere of criticism, rudeness and cruelty in online interactions.
“It’s not only wasteful but also harmful to spend that many hours that do nothing for your psychological, intellectual or professional growth. It also reduces the time you could be investing in making a positive contribution to the world,” said Ben-Mohamed. “When I asked my students why they don’t use the internet to engage with causes that matter to them, they would answer, there is no such platform. So, I decided to create one.”
In August, Ben-Mohamed launched INgagedIN.com, which he describes as “a positive engagement platform.” His goal was to provide an online place where individuals, companies and nonprofits can not only connect with other “doers with a cause,” but can also explore and become involved in causes they might not be as familiar with, including poverty, sustainability, children’s advocacy, animal rights and dozens more.
The platform gathers people, organizations and issues together in a cohesive format that allows them to learn more, find new resources, and engage with others in a civil and respectful forum. “It’s for people who want to find others who care about the same causes, who are eager to share thoughts and experiences, and who want to inspire and be inspired to take action,” said Ben-Mohamed. “By gathering the supporters of a common cause, literally on the same page, we’ve made it much easier for everyone to get involved in a meaningful way.”
Another angle of the platform is to connect people with for-profit companies that are fulfilling their social commitment. “What do your favorite brands care about and support? It can be hard to find out. With our platform, users can drill deeply into a company’s good works and learn how to act, whether that’s posting an opinion or sharing it with their friends,” he said.
Ben-Mohamed has kept those early classroom discussions top of mind as he continues to build out the new platform. In the future, he hopes to see new features, such as a solutions area that will stimulate debate and brainstorming, and an option for recognizing others who are making an impact. “As we level up these tools, we will be reaching out more widely to the Mercy community to participate,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that the more students are engaged, the better students they will be.”
To learn more, visit www.ingagedin.com or contact Ben-Mohamed at abenmohamed@mercy.edu.