After a successful launch last year at University of Santo Tomas, GMA News is back with another round of #IMSocial sessions. This time, the team is bringing the much-awaited discussions to Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University-Manila, and University of the Philippines-Diliman.

“#IMSocial: The Think Before You Click and Youscoop Sessions” aims to inspire students, netizens, and other media practitioners to use social media responsibly.Kapuso journalists will share how they use social media in news coverage. Social media personalities, meanwhile, will talk about how social media changed their lives, while YouScoopers share how social media can be used for social good.

On January 25, the Ateneo leg of #IMSocial will feature heritage advocate Ivan Henares for heritage conservation and education, Top Gear Philippines’ Vernon Sarne for user-generated content in the world of social media, and multi-awarded reporter Pia Arcangel for GMA News’ “Think Before You Click” campaign. The event will start at 5 p.m. and will be hosted by GMA News reporter and Ateneo alumna Mav Gonzales.

Another #IMSocial session will follow on January 27 at De La Salle University and will be held at the Multipurpose Hall of Henry Sy Sr. Building at 2 p.m. Youtube star and online personality Lloyd Cadena will give a talk on how he uses social media for fun. He will be joined by Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s Jay Jaboneta, who will discuss how social media can be used for a cause. Multi-awarded TV host Tonipet Gaba, on the other hand, will share his experience online for the “Think Before You Click” segment. The event will be hosted by GMA News reporter Rida Reyes.

The last leg of the seminar will be at University of the Philippines-Diliman, on January 28 at 4 p.m. TV reporter and university alumna Athena Imperial will host the event at the Malcolm Hall in U.P. College of Law Building. She will be joined by U.P. Department of Political Science Asst. Professor Robert Go. Guest speakers for the said event include COMELEC’s James Jimenez for social media and the 2016 Elections, Save Philippine Seas’ Anna Oposa for social media and advocacy, and YouScooper Sedricke Lapuz for social good. Both Oposa and Lapuz are alumni of U.P. Manila. Broadcast journalist and U.P. Diliman alumnus Ivan Mayrina, meanwhile, will be the speaker for GMA’s “Think Before You Click” campaign.

Around 200 students attended the first #IMSocial session held on August 27 in UST. Its official hashtag, #IMSocialxUST became the fourth top trending topic in the Philippines on Twitter.

The speakers in the #IMSocial UST leg included Jay Jaboneta, IGersManila founder Carl Lozano, and UST political science student Justin Decastro, who was featured on a viral photo while selling books on the street to pay for his studies. GMA News Online editor Jaemark Tordecilla discussed how journalism is changing due to the rise of the Internet and social media, and GMA News anchor Howie Severino encouraged the students to “Think Before You Click.” UST alumnus and iJuander host Cesar Apolinario and UST journalism student Samantha Belmonte emceed the event.

While the events are exclusive to students of the participating schools, netizens and other audience may tune in live via www.gmanews.tv/imsocial or follow the Facebook and Twitter accounts of GMA News (@gmanews) for live updates. — GMA News Online

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