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Table of Contents
Social media platforms are used widely by almost everybody. Starting from individuals, young and older, and then organizations, schools, and public institutions. In the twenty-first century, the use of social media and networking tools has shaped information communication and technology use in broad aspects of our lives, work and education. They provide with efficient ways to spread messages and build communities. Social media networks created collaborative learning environments that can reinforce the learning process. It provides learners with efficient communication, collaboration, and connection that influence learning. Many peers and educators emphasize the importance of social media as a means of promoting creative thinking and collaborative learning via the sharing of digital information. Social media networks (notably YouTube) provide visual information and educational resources that enhanced collaborative learning in online learning environments.
The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or applications. Social media originated as a way to interact with friends and family but was later adopted by businesses, but also education, public and private institutions that wanted to take advantage of a popular new communication method to reach out to their target groups. The power of social media is the ability to connect and share information with anyone on Earth (that has a smart device and an internet connection), or with many people simultaneously.
Three main functions of social media:
The information function of social media involves a one-way messaging strategy in which organizations simply share information with the sole intention to inform recipients. Similar to more traditional content vehicles such as newspapers, television, and press releases, social media platforms allow educational organization to disseminate information such as the organization’s activities, news, reports, learning content, and facts.
This function involves using social media to get users, public, and stakeholders to do something for the organization, which makes it the most outcome-oriented function of the organizational social media strategies.
The community function is unique to social media platforms. It involves applying social media to build and nurture the participation of members around passion points related to the organization, which includes dialogue to facilitate community building around causes, subjects, and people.
Social media may take the form of a variety of tech-enabled activities. These activities include photo sharing, blogging, social gaming, social networks, video sharing, business networks, virtual worlds, reviews, and much more. Even governments and politicians utilize social media to engage with constituents and voters. For individuals, social media is used to keep in touch with friends and extended family. Some people will use various social media applications to network for career opportunities, find people across the globe with like-minded interests, and share their thoughts, feelings, insights, and emotions. Those who engage in these activities are part of a virtual social network.
There are more than 3.8 billion social media users around the world. Social media is an ever-changing and ever-evolving field, according to some researches; media users tend to be younger. Last year, nearly 90% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 used at least one form of social media.
Social media has changed the way we all interact with each other online. It gives us the ability to discover what's happening in the world in real-time, to connect with each other and stay in touch with long-distance friends, and in order to have access to endless amounts of information at our fingertips. In many senses, social media has helped many individuals find common ground with others online, making the world seem more approachable.
According to a survey by Pew Research Center, the use of social media is correlated with having more friends and more diverse personal networks, especially within emerging online and digital education. For many teenagers, friendships can start virtually, with 57% of teens meeting a friend online.
While social media has its positive side, many point to the platform and call out negative features, likening its overuse to addictions. Some contest contributes to inattentiveness, stress, and jealousy. The National Center for Biotechnology Information links heavy social media use to depression. Social media may also be a conduit for misleading information and falsehoods.
Social media can pose challenges to individual users, in the following ways: