What does it mean to network using social media?
Social networking is the utilization of Internet-based social media platforms in order to keep in touch and stay connected with family, friends, colleagues, clients, or customers as well as expanding one’s social contacts (Kenton, 2020). Such networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin (2020). Social networking has two main objectives, either a social purpose, a business/professional purpose, or the both combined (2020).
How do people learn & engage using mediated platforms?
It is found that there are many learning benefits to social media that can promote positive and useful activities in communities (Howell, 2019). Social media has an empowering effect on everyone including students, teachers, and parents (2019). For example, students utilize social media to find information, promote positivity and awareness, share useful insight and collaborate remotely with others on projects (2019). It is so easy nowadays to just pull out your phone and search up any concept that you may want to learn more about or understand better for an upcoming exam (2019). In addition, social media provides plenty of online information which often individuals are more drawn to read and have quicker access to news articles, ebooks, podcasts that can be listened on the go (2019). There are many distance learning opportunities with social media for students, especially during this uncertain time everyone is going through (2019). Teachers are able to host live lectures via zoom and provide online tools for supporting students (2019).
How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?
Today, both social media and technology have become an indispensable part of our lives. One study aimed to examine motivations to use social media among university students and found that social gratification – ability to keep in touch with family and friends, meeting like minded individuals, social networking – and communication gratification – individual’s capacity to control their communication and establish new contacts on a site – were among the two highest factors of motivation (Al-Menayes, 2015). Based on the factor analysis conducted in the study, five dimensions of motivations emerged: information seeking, entertainment, convenience, altruism and personal utility (2015).
What are the risks & rewards of public communications?
Professional networking has been shown to provide various benefits to individuals and the organization such as, supporting the success and growth of a professionals’ career, the ability to find relevant, constant support when it is needed, increasing innovation and group formation, and continually support individuals’ learning (Rajagopal, et al., 2011). On the other hand, the risks of public communication include phishing, identify theft, viruses, social engineering, and poor internet connection (Poremba, 2019).
References
Howell, R. D. (2019). How Can Social Media Help Education?. Psycherg. Retrieved September 18, 2020 from https://www.psychreg.org/social-media-education/
Kenton, W. (2020). Social Networking. Investopedia. Retrieved September 18, 2020 from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-networking.asp#:~:text=Social%20networking%20is%20the%20use,%2C%20and%20Instagram%2C%20among%20others.
Al-Menayes, J.J. (2015). Motivations for Using Social Media: An Exploratory Factor Analysis. International Journal of Psychological Studies. 7(1). doi:10.5539/ijps.v7n1p43.
Poremba, S. (2019). The Cyber-Risk Paradox: Benefits of New Technologies Bring Hidden Security Risks. Security Boulevard. Retrieved September 18, 2020 from https://securityboulevard.com/2019/02/the-cyber-risk-paradox-benefits-of-new-technologies-bring-hidden-security-risks/
Rajagopal, K., Brinke, J. D., Bruggen, V. J., & Sloep, B. P. (2011). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday. 17(1). doi:10.5210/fm.v17il.3559.