Why Schools Should Teach Social Media: Pros, Cons, and the Path Forward
"Integrating social media into school curricula can empower students with critical digital literacy skills"
This is a publication based on the suggested topic proposed in the Hive Learners community through their discord, which on this occasion is "Social Media".
Welcome, appreciated readers, to another interesting blog where we will talk about the Social Media. What would happen if social networks were added as a subject to be studied in our educational institutions? Well, in general, I think this would be something very favorable and very positive for teachers to teach their students everything they need about social networks. The dangers and possible effects that they can have on a mental level in their minds, especially when they are teenagers. I think it is very important to raise awareness about the benefits and contrarities that the use of social networks may have. Definitely, from my corner I can tell you that my point of view is favorable because this simply, now the way to implement it because it has to be in a very particular way. Then I will elaborate a list with everything positive and the negative I see about this. Possible benefits: First, as for the digital literacy and safety: I would teach all young people to configure privacy, identify scams and protect their personal data. Informing or educating them on issues such as cyberbullying or cyberbullying and the fingerprint would help them reduce dangerous behaviors. Consciousness on mental health: They would analyze how social networks affect self -esteem, anxiety or addiction. This could help them detect patterns or behaviors that are harmful. Discuss what is the culture of comparison or profiles that are idealized online would reduce or mitigate the negative effects. Critical and ethical thinking: They would help them improve the ability to identify between reliable sources and false news. Also issues such as digital citizenship, copyright and ethics in respectful communication would do all this that could make responsible use of social networks. The part of the professional skills is very important because tools such as content creation, branding could be explored (in which they could give value to their brand or entrepreneurship they have) and networking to prepare them for the working world. In this way we would have young people to be quite prepared or people quite prepared for the working world. They would have the tools to work in a company that has a brand or to help it with social networks and networking. So it is a very interesting alternative. But we also have the disadvantages (this has only been the good or the positive side that I see). Now I'm going to name the disadvantage list: Curriculum overload: Add a new subject for students to study can be a very large weight for them. They could saturate the schedules. What should be done is to integrate the issues into matters that are already existing, such as technology, computer science or psychology. It would be much easier. The educational curriculum or educational plan that currently exists to improve this should be changed. Another problem is Short -term obsolescence: social networks are changing all the time with the content, and the content would not be the same; It would be outdated if it is constantly not updating. It would have to be content that at least once a week or once every 15 days was updated, because on the Internet and social networks things are changing; Trends are updated. This is very important, and that is also a disadvantage because a valuable time would be lost updating this. It would even mean an expense, because we would have to have dedicated and specialized personnel to update this all the time. The excessive use of networks would be normalized, and then this could justify that people were too long in front of screens or platforms with practices that can be really questionable. Because surely the person or the adolescent will say that he is in the social network because in the course or in the school they assigned that task. You have to be very careful with that, and normalization is one of the disadvantages. Influence of companies and shops: These companies could influence the curriculum promoting their services or their platform, saying that they minimize the risks, for example, justifying that they are collecting only data. This is another negative aspect that would use it for its benefit as a justification for your benefit. Here comes a very important point that is the digital gap: students who do not have access to digital devices (such as computers, smartphones or internet) will obviously be disadvantaged against those who do have access to this. This, obviously, is another disadvantage. There are privacy risks also: the activities that need interaction in social networks would press students to share personal information that they do not need to share them. And finally, the lack of teaching preparation: there are professors who are not familiar with the use of social networks, they do not know how to behave in social networks or do not handle them, they do not know the dynamics, and then they would have to give these teachers preparation and special education. I also believe that experts in mental health, computer scientists, cybersecurity experts and, of course, teachers to design all the content of this course for social networks should be involved. We would also have to involve students to include their experience, so that the material is relevant. And, as I have commented in other publications, include workshops or courses for parents so that parents at home will help reinforce healthy habits. And more important than all this, I think it is very key to focus on the subjects according to the student's age: That is, that each stage of education, each educational stage, has a special content and a way of managing social networks. I think it would be very important, and with this I finish what I think about this interesting topic. I await your comments and your opinion about these ideas below. Thank you very much for reading me! Thumbnail image maded using Bing AI and edited with Canva.com
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Another most important advantage that you must add to your lists is curbing disinformation and hatred. Education will placate nationalistic , xenophobic and extremist sentiments , which are being exploited a lot by internal and external factors.
Digital gap exists and I guess education will reduce that gap. As a special attention will be paid to basic requirement of current age. Education will throw light on importance of digitization.
Rather than a literature based subject, a creative and sharp approach can be adopted to better teach this
Totally, Cyber Bullying and misinformation are silent enemies, they progress little by little and are more common than people think. I hope and achieve as you say it, that governments get to work and collaborate preparing teachers better to educate about this.
Hi @manclar, very interesting this post. I will start with the last point you raise. You pick up very important and previous problems to incorporate this teaching to the academic itinerary. The digital divide and the need for the necessary means to implement this subject. If these problems are not solved, the result cannot be good.
Regarding the pros and cons that you have listed so well, in my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Best regards.
Among my dreams and crazy ideas, I still have that vestige of lucidity, where I see integral education as a solution. The biggest challenge I see is that people no longer want to learn, they just want to be on social networks ... so I hug the end of the world with optimism. 😀
This is quite a detailed approach to the prompt and I agree with you on the points you shared, just as there are advantages, we can't overlook the disadvantages and just proceed to start teaching it in schools.
I like your approach recommendations to solve these too.
I think it is necessary for people to educate themselves, participate, but above all they change their mentality. We are in a new stage of the world, where without educated, trained people, who know how to make decisions from reasoning and critical thinking, we will not get ahead as civilization.
I say that my greatest fear is that society is more and more, and in terms of being an annulled species ... I see it coming in the future, I wish he is not right.
Thanks for reading my publication.
Social media is like a two edged sword, it could work for you or work again you! Just like you've mentioned both the advantages and disadvantage. It is indeed necessary to have a proper literacy on social media platforms.
As I said before in other comments, we need people capable of reasoning, and who are prepared to sustain a debate, to question things, without education, we will not have good publications, and rather we will transform ourselves into decadents, that we are already on our way to it. Hopefully all these tips are taken and applied.