The use of social media in the workplace shows the importance of creating a positive online presence for both individuals and organizations. Social media has a special role in building professional relationships, sharing information and resources, and helping individuals stay current in one’s fields. Users need to be reminded to be mindful of one’s online behaviour and the impact it can have on one’s reputation; for example, they could be fired. PLNs are important in helping individuals and organizations stay informed and connected in their field by following industry professionals and using online resources. It underscores the need for professionals to actively seek out opportunities to expand their network and engage with others in their industry.
Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?
Social media platforms can be beneficial for a number of reasons, but in regard to education, there can be a crossover for personal usage as well. The most popular in my eyes for education would be LinkedIn, as this is a professional platform to connect with industry professionals. On LinkedIn, they have released a section called LinkedIn learning, where they offer courses for users to help develop their resume, learn, and have required certifications. Another platform I would also consider to be obvious in education is YouTube. YouTube has a vast library that is very accessible, where it provides interactive content that has an unlimited library and topics. The less obvious choices that I believe both students and teachers sometimes overlook are Facebook and Instagram. Instagram provides visual content, which is helpful for visual learners or artists wanting to share or learn from others. Instagram I would consider to be called an informal learning platform, but it is super accessible and allows the opportunity to connect with professionals in a more personal manner than LinkedIn. Facebook can be a beneficial tool for learning as it allows the opportunity to create or join groups between students and teachers. This can be used as a great study space to share resources, ask questions, and discuss among each other about class-related topics. There is a feature called Facebook live which can be used for lectures, question sessions, and simple discussion. Social media platforms have a bunch of features that I think students only see for personal use; I encourage my fellow students to use a different scope when thinking about these features in regard to using them to benefit their education journey.
When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?
When working with the vulnerable sector, I believe it is important to keep professional practices and regulations in mind. One of the most important factors to think about is confidentiality, which means having special measures about private information such as addresses or banking information. This data is very sensitive, so keeping it out of the hands of hackers or any sort of data breach is important, so keeping up to date on your privacy settings is essential. One aspect I don’t believe most professionals forget about is even talking about clients to coworkers or even family and friends; this doesn’t contribute to increasing confidentiality. Another essential factor in working with the vulnerable sector is your privacy regulations on both devices and social media networks. Data breaches are getting more complicated. Whether it’s through scam emails or hackers, it’s important to start preventative measures by keeping your software up to date. Regulations differentiate from country to country, so it is important you are aware of them and follow such rules. There are many different types of privacy regulations, and those are more important than others in specific countries. When working with the vulnerable sector, some things to keep in mind with privacy regulations are consent, safe storage, and smart data collection. The last factor I think that is important to touch on is advertising and marketing efforts and staying aware of manipulative ads. Marketing efforts are to convince consumers to buy their product, and they will do whatever ways legally to do so; this can include false or misleading information. The vulnerable sector is extremely susceptible to this influence, so it’s important to consider regulations and your moral compass.
Discuss in the Mattermost group aspects of education outside of the traditional classroom, include dialogue about how education in the workplace in any capacity can consist of social media & what boundaries should be considered before encouraging discourse in a professional environment.
Education outside of the traditional classroom can be done on social media platforms, just as Instagram and Facebook; I consider this to be informal education. You can customize your “feed” on these apps to be what you want, so instead of taking a personal approach, you can take a professional one. Boundaries to consider are the line between what is your professional and personal self interacting with different types of content. I think the easiest way to keep the two separate would be to create two profiles, one public and the other private.
COMMENTS
COMMENT 1
Hello Hannah, it’s great to have the opportunity to discuss the benefits of social media platforms in education with you. Your point about how Instagram and Facebook can be useful tools for learning is very insightful, and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, there are many ways that these platforms can help to enhance our knowledge and understanding of various subjects. As you mentioned, staying up to date on current events is a prime example of how social media can help to keep us informed. Even for those who may not watch traditional news programs, social media can be a valuable source of information. In fact, many people, including myself, have turned to Instagram and Facebook as their primary sources of news. It’s convenient, accessible, and can be personalized to our interests and preferences. However, I agree with your point that finding relevant news content on social media can sometimes be a challenge. It’s true that algorithms often prioritize content that is similar to what we have already engaged with. This can create a filter bubble, where we are only exposed to information that confirms our existing beliefs and perspectives. That being said, actively seeking out news content on Instagram and Facebook can help to broaden our perspectives and expose us to new ideas. By following reputable news sources and journalists, we can ensure that our feeds are filled with diverse stories and perspectives. Additionally, using hashtags and exploring the Explore pages on both platforms can also help to discover new content that we may not have otherwise come across. Overall, I believe that social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have the potential to be powerful tools for education and learning. It’s essential to recognize their limitations and actively seek out diverse perspectives, but when used in a thoughtful and intentional way, they can be valuable sources of information and knowledge.
COMMENT 2
Hello Zheyu, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the use of social media in education. It’s interesting to hear about the different ways in which social media can be utilized for educational purposes, and your examples of Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok are spot on. I primarily use social media for personal purposes, but I can see how some aspects can be beneficial for education as well. I find it particularly interesting that you brought up the differences in the algorithms used in Tiktok between China and Canada. It’s true that these differences can have a significant impact on how the platform is used, and in the case of education, it’s possible that certain algorithms may be more effective at promoting learning than others.You make a great point about how China’s version of Tiktok may be better suited for education than the Canadian version. This raises the question of why social media platforms in Canada are not more education-focused. Perhaps it’s because there is not as much demand for educational content on social media in Canada, or maybe the algorithms used in Canada are not as conducive to promoting learning as those used in China.