There’s no denying that, ever since social networks and social media made way into our lives, everything is different. Beginning with the way we socialize, interact, plan for parties or even how often we go out.
We won’t go into a debate regarding the ethical aspects of the way Social Media is influencing our lives. Instead, this article proposes to focus on the numerous ways in which social media is changing the way the education system works in the 21st century.
The bottom line is that social media is a big part of our day to day life and there’s no point of keeping it away from the education process.
The world is becoming smaller, and by the use of technology such as social media, the way we get an education is changing. Social media and education can complement one another if used effectively. Social media is continually developing new educational possibilities for students. Social Media has become a vital part of a student’s social life. It is now regarded as a learning platform that enhances student engagement and capabilities in many schools. These platforms offer school children the opportunity to connect, get in touch, access information and research. Social media is the strongest medium of communication which helps people to connect from far places.
Social media has many positive effects on education. But the same has some negative effects.
Positive Effect of Social Media Education
1. Motivate Online Learning
With the use of social media platforms in school, the students get motivated and fostered to learn. Educational videos on YouTube, easy access to e-books, online notes, and learning via video calls are major aspects that contribute to educational development.
2. Improve Creative Element
Social Media helps boost creative skills in students by permitting them to learn and later execute the same by doing it themselves. This is called the DIY (Do It Yourself technique)
3. Boost Academic Performance
Another vital impact of social media is boosting student academic performance and increasing their knowledge through data and information gathering. When students are assigned projects in schools, they go through several online platforms to collect information so as to find solutions to their hometasks.
Negative Effect of Social Media on Education
1. Causes Distraction
Social Media platforms are a significant factor that is serving as a distress and obstacle to the mind. These days students tend to lose their concentration from studying and instead enjoy browsing on social media. All of this conveys to wastage of time without getting anything from it.
2. Reduces Learning and Research Capability
With the extensive use of social media, students these days are varying more on such platforms to gain information and knowledge instead of looking out for the same in books or notes. Because it is straightforward to obtain data online, students’ reading habits and their learning and research skills are diminishing.
Though it can be distracting in and outside of the classroom, it can also encourage students to promote inclusivity and other positive activities. For some the use of interactive YouTube videos helps tremendously.
Youtube, a social media platform, can be misused by students, but that is less likely from happening when the teacher or parent monitors the content before he/she exposes their students or children to it. YouTube serves as a useful modern tool to help keep students engaged as well as retaining information for longer periods of time. Children are known to be much more interested in something that they can watch or sing along.
YouTube videos can help students improve their listening and punctuation skills. Listening to a video as well as looking at words or lyrics on screen can help to drastically decrease spelling, pronunciation, listening and comprehension errors. Not to mention that parents can review any video or watch it themselves to better aid their child with their homework or practice work. It definitely serves as one way to get parents involved in their child’s learning.
As we know parents can be very busy and communication is vital, so they need the use social media, like the Facebook. It is important to use this social media means for parent-teacher relationships as well as collaborations. While yes, there are some cons involved with the use of social media in the classroom, we can also see the pros that exist as well.