How Social Media Incorporates Digital Media
Social media has had many different changes, but it has always been something for people to share photos or videos with their friends and families. There are many different types of social media and it can be used in different ways. One way is to incorporate digital media visually but it also can be incorporated as a video also. In the infographic linked below you will see different examples of social media and when it was created.
Social media can be used in many ways and this includes personal and professional ways. Most all social media accounts are used in a person way, but all social media accounts have a purpose. Lawrence states that "visual rhetoric, then, is the study of how visual forms of communication can be persuasive" (Lawrence, 2022, p. 103). An example of this could be someone trying to get likes on their posts. This could also be someone trying to get people to stay engaged in their video or their post.
Social media has become somewhat of a popularity contest in my opinion for teenagers and young adults. It is always a competition for them to see who has the most likes or comments on a post. Most pictures and videos have a filter or photoshop done on them to make the picture perfect. This is what makes social media so appealing for teenagers and young adults. They want to be able to see what their friends are up to, but also will comment on the post about the picture or video. The world mainly sees the perfect side of a person rather than what they consider to be a flaw in pictures and videos.
Social Media used in a professional manner
Social media can also be used to share professional pictures and videos through a business or career. I think about how social media is used in education. Many teachers have had the opportunity to share pictures of materials that they may have used in their classroom. This allows other teachers to be able to see how they may be able to incorporate those materials in their classroom. I have seen TikTok videos of other teachers explaining a lesson or an engaging song to have their students participate in. I have been able to learn from other teachers through these videos.
This is a video that I would incorporate in my classroom for my students to learn their letters (Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel, 2017). It is also inclusive because it adds sign language for the students to learn. YouTube is a very popular website and "there may be as many as 300 or more hours being uploaded to YouTube every minute of every day" (Lawrence, 2022 p. 112). This is something that can be very helpful professionally because you will be able to find new content each day to use for your career.
Social media is very influential and it is very helpful for all careers. If it used correctly than it will greatly impact all people who are gaining access to the digital media that is being posted daily. I am hopeful that more people will use more digital media in their careers each day.
Reference
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview press.
Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel. (2017, September 28). See it, say it, sign it | letter sounds | ASL alphabet | Jack Hartmann. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP1blVh1ZQM&t=63s
I agree that every social media has some form of purpose, whether to keep friends and family updated on life, become an influencer, or try to sell a product. I like that you included how social media can also be used to share professional pictures and videos. I did not think about this side of social media from simply an observer's position, but I do see other educators post videos about their classrooms. I used to get a lot of ideas from those educators during student teaching and my first year in the classroom. This has opened a new avenue of professional development that any teacher can join. Lawrence states, "short, 30-second videos filmed on a quality smartphone camera can be incredibly effective and budget-friendly" (2022, p. 174). Any teacher with an idea and a smartphone can add new information to the online rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteReference
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the Web. [eBook edition] Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press
When viewing your infographic detailing the timeline of various social media platforms, it made me wonder, what will be the most popular platform to use by 2040? When scrolling social media currently, I see ads for other platforms that encourage users to stay connected. Obviously, not all platforms gain popularity and take off, so to speak. As social media continues to grow, I think it is important to be mindful of what Lawrence (2022) states, "A social media coordinator, for example, may not only be tasked with writing content for several different social media pages, websites, or blogs but also with choosing imagery for those posts" (p 108-109). This statement just proves how much thought goes into making a post on social media. In today's world, I think it is easy to go online and see various creators going viral and it looking simple. However, creating a successful social media account actually takes a good bit of work. When thinking about teenagers using social media, I think that there can be some positive outcomes as long as users are mindful of their role. Weinberg (2022) explains, "Social media literacy skills show teenage and younger students how to sensibly review data on social media sites rather than indiscriminately ingesting and propelling what they find out into the universe." Ultimately, it is important to remember that young social media users such as teenagers are still learning to navigate this space. As adults, we need to encourage our students and children to be aware of their social media presence and usage.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Weinberg, A. (2022, March 10). Helping students find the truth in social media. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-students-find-truth-social-media