Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
If I were to link a movie title to public perception of social media, I’d have to go with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I find the negativity strange as some estimate over half the world’s population will be on social media by 2025. As a teacher, I hear social media being blamed for many of the problems our country sees today. As a social media graduate certificate completer from the University of Florida, I find these accusations unwarranted. When I was younger, video games were the problem. In the 1950s rock and roll was composed by the devil himself. Many people can’t take responsibility for their own actions or lack thereof. We don’t want to take the blame, so we pass the buck. I’m not writing today to give an ethics lesson. What I want to do is share good on behalf of social media.
The obvious benefit of social media is the social aspect. Being able to stay connected with your friends and family. When I was a kid, if you moved away, that was about it. Maybe a few phone calls, a couple of letters, but eventually you would lose touch with your old friends while making new ones. I can tell you moving sucks. I imagine it still does today, but it is nice to know you still have that safety net of your connections from where you came from. Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with my friends from back home. You can get ahold of them at about any time, check in, and still be a part of their lives. As we mention keeping in touch with old friends, how about making new ones? Social media helps us find others interested in the same topics as we are. You can find others in your same line of work. Share ideas, make connections, and network. It may even provide interesting career opportunities for you. Twitter and LinkedIn are a few platforms I have found helpful for networking.
There are students in schools who everyone knows are talented. They have natural arenas to perform in. Playing on a football field, competing on a volleyball court, racing around a track, singing a solo in a concert, or marching in a parade. These are great opportunities for students to share their skills. What about a student who paints photo-realistic pictures, a computer programmer, or a poetry writer? This isn’t only about students, but for talented creatives in all walks of life. They can perform in front of thousands on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. The introvert who loves to sing but is terrified to try out for choir may have the courage to sing to their phone and post online for millions to enjoy. Several years ago, Chris Anderson gave a great TED Talk about people sharing talent online driving global innovation. We are really seeing this fully in action today.
Finally, I wanted to mention the learning opportunities with social media. I try to learn something new every day and social media has made this very easy for me. YouTube and Instagram especially provide me inspiration for project ideas and tutorials for learning countless techniques. Pinterest is another great place for learning and an underrated resource for creating vision boards for projects to guide you through your work.
Instead of condemning others, what if you post your favorite scripture? Instead of banning social media in school, having a spirit video contest. Rather than looking for an argument, find something that inspires you, like and leave a comment. Whether you think social media is good, bad, or ugly, you’re right, and you helped make it that way. I will continue to use social media as a source of inspiration and share what I have learned with others.
