Midterm Reflection Blog
My conception of social media is changing and expanding as a result of this course. It is easier to associate the bad side of social media since it is the most highlighted by the media. When one takes the time to learn about the positive sides of social media then the usage shifts from bad to useful. This is the reason why education and learning are very important. Not only is my personal conception changing, but my use has also changed. There are ways to make impacts within our communities through social media platforms. Also, through this course, we are learning of different social media platforms and their benefit on learning.
Prior to taking this course, I was unaware of how many social media platforms were out there. I simply categorized the social media platforms I use as social media platforms in general. I never used twitter before, through our assignment of creating a twitter account, I find myself using twitter a lot for gathering information on career paths and opportunities. Using twitter has been a learning opportunity that shows that by teaching our youth about the positive and educational aspects of these platforms, we can create a fun and engaging online community with the goal of education and learning.
Social media is supporting both cultures of meaningful connections and superficial connections. Even though many of us have this bad connotation associated to social media, courses like this one (CI3342), help us learn the positive aspects of social media platforms. It is important to be aware of all aspects of social media because it is weaving its way to every part of our lives. Also, it is important because there is a lot of fake news being distributed and by knowing how to access information properly though proper social media usage, you can filter out the fake information. Not only is it a significant part on how we learn, but it will play a significant role as we develop in a professional setting.
Social media in the role of learning helps provide this sense of social expertise given to youth. In a video we previously explored, Dr. Mimi mentioned how the educational system given to our youth lacks this sense of social expertise. Social media expands creativity and content sharing. This will expand the way teens become social because through content creation and sharing, youth are connecting with others through online communities and receiving feedback/criticism. This is one example out of many that contribute to the way we can all interact with each other. Many times, I feel like if it wasn’t for social media platforms/tools, I would not have the courage to share my writing and thoughts.
Unfortunately, there are also superficial connections made through the use of social media. Teens are using social media and making it a big part of their social interactions. Cyberbullying and beauty standards, among others, are prominent problems branched from the usage and content sharing through social media. These are problems that were not heavily present 10 years ago. I can personally admit that those problems have also been part of my experience when using social media. It is kind of hard not to compare your life with these perfect life expectations given by social media. Also, having that conversation with a parent who did not grow up with social media, is also tough as they do not understand the role it plays in our lives. It goes to show that not only are these social media platforms changing but their problems affecting our society are also changing/evolving. That is why it is very important that we all explore and learn the good and bad sides of social media platforms because they are constantly evolving and through learning all sides of social media, we can not only improve our involvement but also improve the way we tackle issues that come with it.
I believe that through proper information and education, we can highlight the good that comes from social media platforms and use it for overall good. Courses like these are helpful not only to learn positive sides of social media but how to properly use it in our education/learning, personal life, and also professionally. The concepts of digital literacy and connected learning branch out of this proper understanding and usage of social media platforms/tools.