Can man change the world without knowing it? A high school student’s creation says yes, it can.
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“Mach is a fantastic example of what can happen when young people have access to technology, are able to develop their skills, and are free to create the things they wish to see in the world.”
These are the words of Upworthy.com contributor Melinda Clark, describing 17-year-old Mateusz Mach. At first glance, I, like many, thought he was your average high school student who likes to tinker with ideas. Ideas and passion are what drives mankind to move mountains after all, right?
That observation would be correct–but when Mach decided to put one of his “simple and fun” ideas into action, he coincidentally revolutionized the way deaf people around the world communicate and interact with each other.
He created a smartphone app called Five, which allows deaf individuals to send and receive simple pictures of hand gestures–just as if they were using sign language in real time. He started receiving random text messages from members of the deaf community who used the app. They began thanking him for creating something that allowed them to communicate with one another freely, and in their own unique language. In May 2015, the app officially launched and has since been called “the world’s first messaging app for deaf people”–a title and accolade that Mach never saw coming.
The idea came when Mach wanted to send a simple high five or hand gesture to a friend when replying to a text. He has raised over $150,000 to expand the availability and use of Five to various countries including Poland and The United Nations–with the UN reportedly supporting a future upgrade.
“Currently, about 10,000 people are using the app. We are talking about deaf people in US, Poland, China, Japan and UK. We started receiving feedback from deaf people within two weeks of launching the app, even before I received feedback from my own friends and target audience,” Mach recently told International Business Times UK.
Technology is often a double-edged sword. It can either be used to create or destroy. I’m not deaf, so I personally don’t know that struggle. However, there are many other things in my life that, without medication and the technology used to create it, would be potentially detrimental to my quality of life.
So, if you had the same kind of control Mateusz Mach has and didn’t use it for the betterment of something, where would you be in the long run? Better yet, where would the world be?
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Photo Credit: tamakisono/Flickr