Harry Potter, Henry Jenkins, and the Power of Social Media

Save ArticleSave Article

Failed to save article

Please try again

This article is more than 9 years old.

At the Learning from Hollywood conference last week, USC professor Henry Jenkins talked about his theory on building what he calls "participatory culture" around Harry Potter Alliance as a means to teach kids how to be social activists and realize their transformative powers.

Jenkins believes that schools should embrace the powers of social media and leverage it as a means to engage students -- especially those at risk of becoming disenfranchised.

The conference was organized by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and hosted by USC Cinema School.

Sponsored

The video is filmed by Scott Taylor from 360Kid on his cell phone, but Jenkins' words are heard loud and clear.