Technology

Posted on January 4, 2017 by staff

Mark Zuckerburg will ‘change the game’ with 2017 US tour

Technology

Mark Zuckerburg plans to ‘change the game’ as he tours the US throughout 2017, following the Facebook founder’s ambitious New Year’s resolution.

Writing on his own social network, the 32-year-old set himself the personal challenge of visiting people in “every state” in the country.

He plans to discover more about the way people live, and talk to them about their vision for the future.

Zuckerberg, whose previous New Year challenges include running 365 miles and learning Mandarin, said he needed to travel to 30 states to fulfil the pledge.

And he hopes the plan will have “the most positive impact as the world enters an important new period”.

He wrote: “After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they’re living, working and thinking about the future.

“Recently, I’ve travelled around the world and visited many cities, and now I’m excited to explore more of our country and meet more people here.

“Going into this challenge, it seems we are at a turning point in history. For decades, technology and globalization have made us more productive and connected.

“This has created many benefits, but for a lot of people it has also made life more challenging. This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime.

“We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone.”

The US tour follows continued speculation that Zuckerberg could one day run for office, even President, in the United States.

Rumours were fuelled by documents showing he made provisions to keep control of Facebook should he begin working for the government.

He added: “My work is about connecting the world and giving everyone a voice.

“I want to personally hear more of those voices this year. It will help me lead the work at Facebook and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative so we can make the most positive impact as the world enters an important new period.”

Last week, Zuckerberg also revealed he was no longer an atheist after posting a Christmas message, claiming he now believes “religion is very important”.