Social Media Article Discussion
Social Media: Its Complicated
I have an odd relationship with social media. Though it was something I grew up with, by far I post the very least of all my friends. I am eager to share small parts of my life, from time to time. During the duration of this class I have observed my posting habits. I post about 1-3 pictures on Instagram a month. I post 3-5 snap chats or Instagram stories a week. Most of these posts are my dog. On the other hand I follow a good amount of people. basically I am that profile lurking in the background, and that is how I like it.
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On that note when going through Danah Boyd's work I was relieved to see that my students are alright in the world of social media. The most interesting point I saw was that teens do not have the freedom to wonder the world as they did in the past so they cling to the friendship and spaces on social media. That makes so much sense! Another thing she says is "youth is public by default, private by effort" which I totally resonate with as well. It takes a lot of effort to stay private, just because posting is what everyone does, you want to fit in and be a part of the society. Overall when reading through a few articles, I am still conflicted on the use of social media in the classrooms. I chose two articles, one by a student and from their perspective and another with tips on using social media in the classroom.
Social Media: Student's Perspective
It was interesting to read this article. The explanations of the different social media platforms were spot on, even for me! There is only a 4 year difference between the student writing the article in 2015 as a 19 year old and myself. The only thing that threw me off was the additional platforms that I am not families with as much, there are so many of them and even more today in 2019. The students basically explained that these platforms are for a social purpose, to contribute and observe the social media phenomenon. Each social media platform has different benefits that lure users to them. The only thing I did not read in his perspective is an academic connection. This could mean that educators have not yet presented and taught educational topics through social media as much at that point. Or that social media in the brains of teens is strictly for friendship as Danah Boyed touched on. I am bringing this up because I am still extremely conflicted on using social media in the classroom, even after reading articles on way to use that social media.
Social Media in the Classroom: Other Teacher Have Been Successful
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I am really trying to keep an open mind about using social media in the classroom, but I am not convinced yet. The article gives great tips on when and if I decided to use social media. It gives great options for the classroom, recaps and resources all students can have at their figure tips. But a student's social media it wired to be for friends, wouldn't they just overlook the classroom feeds? Is it better to have multiple accounts like teachers do, personal and professional? Would incorporating school into existing profiles teach students better digital citizenship? I have so many questions! For now I am going to stick with google classroom and share information and materials in a controlled environment.
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