Essay about Social Media

Submitted By JeffreyNewland
Words: 1978
Pages: 8

Social Media Today
Final Research Paper
Social Media in Education

The modern age and especially the current generation are defined by the rapid growth of computing technology. One of the biggest breakthroughs in the world of computing technology in recent years was the creation of the internet, and the internet’s popularity has grown at an intense rate. Today, less than half a century after its conception, one would find it extremely difficult to locate a business or school that does not depend on the internet. This is despite the extreme skepticism that surrounded it in schools for many years. Now, most of the skepticism in schools regarding the Internet focuses on one of its biggest and fastest growing parts, social media. Although many schools have accepted some forms of social media, its educational use is underutilized and sometimes even restricted. Dan Laird writes about the differences in technology over the years in schools. He touches on how instead of schools restricting different websites to “protect the kids” the students should be introduced to technology early in life. He then mentioned how one of the news content leaders, The New Yorks Times has been blocked throughout schools because it contained crossword puzzles (@DanDanLaird Twitter). Educators need to strive to incorporate technology into the classrooms in the 21st century. Technology is what students have grown up with and it can provide positive results if used correctly. This would create The traditional media has successfully made the public and school administrators aware of the possible dangers associated with social media such as scams, predators, cyberbullying, and distracting features. The question then becomes what to make of social media’s growing popularity and whether it can be used to further the education system. Many are finding that schools would see a great benefit in the engagement and quality of their student’s education if they promoted and used social media in different ways. Rather than run away from it, schools should spend as much time on social media as their students so that they may learn how to efficiently use and integrate it into as many aspects of their student’s lives as possible. It is important to establish first that the internet and social media are becoming increasingly relevant. In surveys taken from more than a thousand young adults and college presidents, it was found that more 77% of the institutions surveyed offered online courses and more than half of the college presidents felt that the online courses provided the same level of educational quality as regular courses. Most of the young adults and presidents surveyed also expected the role of online courses to grow substantially in the next decade (Parker 2011). If more students are taking online courses at their colleges, it follows that they will likely be using their social media sites at the same time they are “going to class”. In fact, another survey of 2,500 college students found that the average student spent four hours a day using some form of social media (Purcell 2013). These articles provide almost purely statistical data, and leave much of the meanings up to the reader’s interpretation. The articles referenced above mainly target people seeking to create opportunities or economic gain. In any case, the data shows that if universities could find ways to incorporate social media platforms with their online courses, their students could learn more efficiently. The inevitability of students using the internet and social media is not necessarily a bad thing because many believe that tying education to social media can make it more engaging. Rather than supplying empirical data, Sarah Kessler writes a blog with social media’s success stories in an Oregon classroom where a teacher created a social media forum to introduce her students to blogging. She mentions that after their schools incorporation of social media into their curriculum