Mentoring is a crucial part of human evolution. Human race depends a lot on knowledge transformation, information sharing and constant brainstorming. But how do you define mentoring? The true definition of mentoring is way different than that we usually visualise.
As Yuval Noah Harrari has explained in his book ‘Homo Deus’; with the introduction of artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyborgs and biohacking, humans are acquiring some God like abilities which will eventually lead us to the next stage of human evolution, converting homo Sapiens into Domo Deus. Digital AI revolution has changed the human race in a drastic manner. Once hunter gatherers, we humans are now planning to occupy Mars. In a knowledge economy, sharing of information, experience and knowledge is very crucial for growth. Here comes the role of mentoring. But how do we define mentoring in this virtual digital era? Let's find out.
The 21st century is going through some of the biggest changes in humanity so far. From starting with the dot.com revolution to now heading towards the AI revolution, humans are moving towards a very different world. With the introduction of the knowledge economy, mentoring has become a very crucial part in the process. A knowledge driven culture attracts growth. But the real definition of mentoring has changed over the years. With the introduction of the new age technologies, mentoring and knowledge sharing have become extremely easy. Now we don't necessarily need to be present in a physical classroom to acquire knowledge. Various digital mediums have changed the scene drastically.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge had been transferred from generations to generations in the forms of stories, tales and beliefs prior to the invention of writing mediums. Various mythological stories are a great example of mentoring with storytelling. Stories have always been an integral part of our life. The mode of storytelling has also been evolved a lot over the years. The old grandmother way of storytelling has got the digital vibe. Even without the presence of human help, storytelling is possible with the use of AI at a virtual level.
The true definition of mentoring in the 21st century:
Like every other sector, mentoring and knowledge sharing have also got the digital touch. Various digital platforms are offering mentorship programmes now. Nothing bad in that. But are these platforms successful in sensing the real problems of the 21st century millennials? Wish i could answer this in an affirmative way. However the internet is the biggest mentor right now for anyone seeking growth.
Mentoring is all about sharing experience, knowledge and information with another person. The general definition of mentoring always endorses human to human mentorship. But this century is different. The digital revolution has changed the scene completely.
1. The internet:
The Internet is the biggest mentor of the 21st century. Forget about all the courses with clickbait thumbnails on social platforms, there is everything you need to succeed that is available for completely free on the Internet. As Elon Musk said that Reddit and YouTube are two of the platforms which are self sufficient for anything and any subject to learn that too completely free.
If you are genuinely interested in learning any skills or concepts, the internet is the solution.
2. Mentoring vs Coaching:
Don't confuse mentoring synonyms with coaching. A coaching programme generally focuses on providing knowledge, information and education targeting some particular niches. However, mentoring in true sense is more into personalised guidance and taking follow up throughout the journey. It involves more into touching other domains and related life lessons along with the particular niche which definitely a typical coaching programme never touches.
3. Mentoring in schools:
Schools are the building blocks of one's personality. Mentoring in schools is highly needed to be introduced right now. Along with the conventional syllabus, it's high time to focus on introducing other domains in our school system. A child’s personality starts forming from the very early days of childhood. Our thought process, worldview and personality traits depend a lot on what type of social surrounding we get introduced during our early days of childhood.
Conclusion:
Social media is flooded with sponsored posts featuring some mentorship programmes, courses and motivational seminars. However most of them won't help you in any way other than taking you to their platforms using some clickbait thumbnails. The best mentor right now is the internet. Everything depends on how you approach it.