It is clear that social media has surpassed traditional media in terms of reaching, engaging, and informing (or misinforming) a massive global audience. I solidified my place on the Millennial spectrum by growing up in the 90s. We had a front row seat to the evolution of social media. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, blogging, Reddit... they all came to be during our formative years. But now the digital footprint is growing so monstrous that even a somewhat savvy Millennial such as myself struggles to stay hip. I had to ask my Gen Y student worker what a streak on Snapchat is the other day, and I'll admit it pained me.
I've dabbled in Twitter before but never given it much time or effort. Ordinarily, I would just play around with the program until I was comfortable with it. There is a lot of trial and error in that though... emphasis on the error. That kind of reckless behavior is what led me to accidentally like a 68 week old pic on Instagram as I was trying to zoom in (PSA: in the old days, you zoomed on iPhone by double tapping. You also liked Instagram posts by double tapping). And you can take back that like but you can never take back that notification that you were creeping so hard. For that reason, I am extremely grateful for the tutorials and videos Dr. Robin put together for us to learn the ins and outs of Twitter. Tutorials and training are under utilized in social media, and I think this may deflect a lot of users.
While it may be a simple observation this week, I think it still has gravity. Adult learners at my institution are classified as students 25 and older. That means a good portion of students are around my age and probably pretty comfortable with technology. But it also means that some of those adult students did not have the exposure to social media that my generation did and are far less likely to explore it without prompting. Social media can be an amazing tool for students and teachers. I think if teachers can provide safe avenues for experimenting with unfamiliar social media outlets, adult learners of all ages will be more likely to use them during classes and in the future.
I've dabbled in Twitter before but never given it much time or effort. Ordinarily, I would just play around with the program until I was comfortable with it. There is a lot of trial and error in that though... emphasis on the error. That kind of reckless behavior is what led me to accidentally like a 68 week old pic on Instagram as I was trying to zoom in (PSA: in the old days, you zoomed on iPhone by double tapping. You also liked Instagram posts by double tapping). And you can take back that like but you can never take back that notification that you were creeping so hard. For that reason, I am extremely grateful for the tutorials and videos Dr. Robin put together for us to learn the ins and outs of Twitter. Tutorials and training are under utilized in social media, and I think this may deflect a lot of users.
While it may be a simple observation this week, I think it still has gravity. Adult learners at my institution are classified as students 25 and older. That means a good portion of students are around my age and probably pretty comfortable with technology. But it also means that some of those adult students did not have the exposure to social media that my generation did and are far less likely to explore it without prompting. Social media can be an amazing tool for students and teachers. I think if teachers can provide safe avenues for experimenting with unfamiliar social media outlets, adult learners of all ages will be more likely to use them during classes and in the future.
Hi Julia! I love the last paragraph where you discussed how many may not have explored these social media or technology platforms, and how they may been better utilized, understood, and perceived if there is a safe avenue to try them. I personally am 24, but have not had twitter, a blog, or many of the technologies we are using. I'm not completely a grandma, but I didn't have the experience. I had toyed with the idea of them, but didn't feel comfortable, and didn't know how to begin. By having this course as not only like a giant tutorial, but also a way to really learn and trial run these technologies, I am more comfortable and have been able to apply this information to my personal and professional life. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteI certainly still remember the days of Myspace back in my high school days. I had to get help from kids younger than me when it came to coping and pasting URL's. The idea was bizarre and luckily technology has made it easier to customize Facebook's and Twitters.