The Education Commission of Christ Church, Manipal, organized an informative and awareness-oriented talk titled “Your Future in Your Hands: Social Media, Drugs, AI & Cyber Safety” on 5 July 2026 at the Christ Conference Hall, Christ Church, Manipal. The programme was conducted under the theme “Smart Choices in a Digital World”, with the aim of helping participants make informed and responsible decisions in an increasingly digital and interconnected society.
The resource person for the session was Dr. Cifha Crecil Saldanha, faculty, M.I.T, Manipal, who delivered an engaging and thought-provoking presentation. The session witnessed the participation of more than 85 attendees, which includes students, youth and parishioners. The session began with the prayer song by the youth of the parish. The commission members Dr. Andrea Sirur effectively compered the event, Mrs. Vinet D’Souza welcomed the gathering and Dr. Janet Varghese introduced the resource person to the gathering. Rev. Fr. Romeo Lewis, the parish priest of Christ Church briefly addressed the gathering, stressing the importance of the topic and encouraging all participants to take the message to heart and make wise, responsible decisions in their personal and digital lives.
The session covered a wide range of topics related to social media and digital well being, Cyber safety, Artificial Intelligence (AI), drugs and substance abuse. The session explored the opportunities and challenges of AI applications, ethical concerns, deepfakes, academic integrity, and the need for critical thinking in the age of intelligent technologies. The speaker highlighted that AI should be viewed as a tool to assist and enhance human capabilities rather than replace human intelligence and judgement. The talk was highly informative, engaging, and relevant to the realities faced by young people and families today. The speaker engaged the youth through case studies, prompting them to reflect on the issues and suggest suitable ways to address them. Dr. Sandra D’Souza, the coordinator of the Education Commission, delivered the vote of thanks. The participants went home with a powerful take-home message: “The mindset you nurture grows stronger. Feed positive thoughts, wise choices, and good values.”
