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Empowering People in the Academe to use Social Media on a Daily Basis
24. May 2019 at 00:28
In light of the #Cancelled trend and the toxic environment that social media posits, how do we encourage educators and students alike to utilize social media and technology to aid in delivering and extending the kind of education that we envision from inside the classroom towards the confines of our own homes.

Around the globe, over 60% of children aged sixteen years old and above have an account on a particular social network which encompasses Facebook, Twitter and Instagram among others.[1] This is not a surprising phenomenon. When you look around, schoolchildren are often preoccupied with their phones in an attempt to battle their fear of missing out on the latest happenings surrounding their lives and the lives of their peers. They spend 116 minutes a day sharing content and browsing images and videos on online platforms.[2]

         In most academes, social media is viewed as a menace towards the educational growth of learners thus the ban of its use within campuses. However, in recent years and in multiple areas, educators are utilizing it as a tool to reach an even wider audience and to easily communicate with their students without the barrier of distance and of time. It is accessible to anyone regardless of their geographical location or their socioeconomic status which are common factors that hinder the youth from acquiring quality, free and sustainable education in their respective communities.

Moreover, students are also able to benefit from having a private forum with their school mates where they can collaborate extensively on school works that they might have a hard time dealing with. Collaborating and connecting with each other enables the students to efficiently deliver on a performance task or written work assigned in school.

Introspectively, reacting to social media posts can help children to explore the emotions that they feel regarding a specific content. Retweeting ideas that they find parallel to their own opens channels for discussion whereas gaining exposure can help build social credibility and enhance a student’s portfolio for their future career all the while using these networks with the knowledge they have obtained in class such as applying concise grammar and spelling whenever posting online.

Perhaps the most important role that social media plays in the lives of people in the academe is that it functions as a conduit of data that allows everyone to find information related to and about education in a seamless and hassle – free manner.

         While it becomes apparent that social media is an innovative force within and outside the screen, the main concern that it faces today is on how to effectively integrate it in the vast and interconnected web of learning.

         Ideally, teachers can create activities online that students can work on in their spare time. In addition, they can also make videos pertinent to their lesson plans that they can send to the classes that they handle as a supplemental resource for a student’s perusal or which they can use in unprecedented events where classes are suspended or when the teacher cannot attend his or her class.

         Other instances include distance learning with Massive Open Online Courses offered by esteemed institutes inside the country and abroad that both learners and teachers can partake in. Although it is sometimes set at a considerable fee, participants in MOOCs can receive accreditation for the courses that they engage in on the Web.

         Distance learning and the creation of learning aids are just a few of the ways that social media can be used in the field of education and it definitely does not end there as network companies and educators are continuously working hand in hand to develop more means to bring social media closer to the classroom.

The essence of empowering young people, parents and educators to take a proactive role in the academe through social media is anchored on giving them the chance to respond positively to the emerging technological landscape while preparing them for what the future entails which is what 21st century education hopes to achieve.

         


[1] Fox, B. (2017, August 22). Social Media and Education: Using Social Media For Better Academic Results. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@braydenfox/social-media-and-education-using-social-media-for-better-academic-results-804b7a41a825

[2] Smith,K. (2019, March 1). 123 Amazing Social Media Statistics and Facts. Retrieved from https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts/


Cite This Article As: Francine Beatriz Pradez. "Empowering People in the Academe to use Social Media on a Daily Basis." International Youth Journal, 24. May 2019.

Link To Article: https://youth-journal.org/empowering-people-in-the-academe-to-use-social-media-on-a-da





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