What does it mean to network using social media?

The formation of social media has had an enormous impact on the way in which we connect over the last 20 years. Social networking is the linking of contacts, whether professional or social, using internet based sites. It can vary from sharing a picture of one’s newborn baby on Facebook with family, to making a professional profile on LinkedIn for future employers to see, to even posting a blog for a class like this one.  How one portrays their presence online, their digital identity, can benefit or diminish opportunities. As a student/young adult myself, finding the right balance between having a professional digital identity and a personal, social digital identity is very important. The video showed in the article “What is a Personal Learning Network” illustrates how individuals and society are more connected now than ever due to social media (Rajagopal, et. al, 2011) and how we learn, communicate, and share ideas has improved vastly. Overall, networking through social media feeds the ability for us to learn, share, and grow as individuals and as a society.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

In today’s society, social media is such a prominent aspect of our day to day lives. People depend on social media to enable them to engage with others, and share their opinions on important matters in society. What passions we hold and what inspires each and every one of us influences what opinions and information we feel motivated to share online. For example, occurrences today such as Black Lives Matter, women’s and abortion rights, and even anti-vaccine/vaccine passport protests can motivate people to participate in networked publics. People feel so strongly about something, enough to voice those opinions online no matter how controversial, in order to have their opinion heard and magnified. Another example of what may motivate people is their romanticized online presence. People most of the time will only advertise the most attractive parts of their life online, and go out of their way to do so even if it means missing out on in person experiences  to focus on posting and captioning the perfect Instagram picture. In summary, networked publics have become an important tool in sharing one’s life and opinion on matters that motivate them.

What are the risks & rewards of public communication?

While there are tons of benefits that social media provides, there are also some negative repercussions that can result. Risks can include the threat of misinformation being spread, and mental health issues social media may generate. For example would be the endless false information floating around the web regarding Covid-19. From speculations about it being a man-made virus by the government intended to control the population, to the inefficacy of masks preventing the spread, to the negative theories about the vaccine leading people to choose against receiving it, these postulations have only negatively impacted how our society chooses to deal with the pandemic. On the other side there are also many advantages that public communications provide to society, like the easy accessibility to information it provides, and awareness of important societal issues. Social media allows anyone with an internet connection to be access to educational resources and important information. For example, through social media last year, the UVic men’s soccer team created a fundraiser for a past teammate who got diagnosed with brain cancer. The soccer team raised awareness and money with the fundraiser, greatly supporting the player. Through public communication, the team was able to raise over $80,000 to help support cancer research. Overall, social media is not perfect, but it provides many benefits to our society. 

References:

Rajagopal, K., Joosten-ten Brinke, D., Van Bruggen, J., & Sloep, P. B. (2012). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday, 17(1) doi:10.5210/fm.v17i1.3559. Retrieved from: https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131