Imagine driving to work and noticing a malfunctioning traffic light tying up traffic. You flip open your phone, report it online and continue along your way. On the way home, you see that the light has been repaired and traffic flow has returned to normal. There is also a news van at the corner reporting on the city's quick response. With SeeClickFix, this sort of rapid response to problems can become commonplace.
Civic engagement facilitated by social media Web tools is a new and effective approach to address daily problems at the local level. SeeClickFix is an innovative company out of New Haven, Conn., that is working to empower people in small but significant ways by giving them an online voice to help improve neighborhoods through direct participation.
Utilizing the three principles of empowerment, efficiency and engagement, this company has successfully applied the tools of social media to develop more involved citizens who have the opportunity to directly affect their communities with the click of a button.
Simply by signing up for free, users can access information on the SeeClickFix website about their surroundings, report problems and monitor the resolution of previously reported issues. People can also comment on submitted reports submitted, upload photos and add to conversations in many other ways.
In addition to being a valuable resource for community members, local government agencies and news outlets, small businesses also can benefit from following the reports to improve available services and resolve issues more rapidly. SeeClickFix improves transparency and increases accountability of government services to the communities they are entrusted to provide for. Local news media also have the opportunity to check the website for potential story leads, reporting on issues that impact people's daily lives. In short, the implications for creating more healthy and interactive communities are profound.
By providing a Web-based tool to allow citizens to report non-emergency issues that affect their surroundings, people are more likely to be consistently engaged in what is happening around them and be more invested in the outcomes. Also, given its simplicity, getting involved no longer requires attending a meeting or going to a government office to report an existing problem. Now, it's as easy as see, click, fix!
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