Social Media: Good or Bad for Education?

Introduction: Everyone standing of me today is a part of the generation of social media. Whether you are an avid social media user or only take advantage of it occasionally, we all know what it’s like online. Generations that have come before us were not raised with the constant accessibility of the virtual world. So, the problem I want to discuss with you today is not necessarily the negative effects of social media, but instead how it influences and evolves our education system and learning methods.

Point #1: Accessibility of information

• Con: Decrease learning retention when everything is at our finger tips
• Pro: Information can be shared quicker, making collaboration more efficient

Point #2: The use of social media

• Con: Distractions from academics, concentration decreases
• Pro: Teaches us how to use the media (when we are out in the business world, we will have knowledge on how to use sites properly)

Point #3: Technology in relation to social interaction

• Con: students have less face-to-face interaction during critical periods (they do not present speeches or presentations as well because of their lack of social interaction)
• Pro: With an increase in technology in the education system, it helps them maintain functionality with school work

Point #4: Academic research/performance

• Con: Online “talk” has become more prevalent when writing formal papers/doing assignments
• Con: It is way easier to cheat
• Pro: Research is at your fingertips when it comes to papers, there should be no excuse for not providing enough knowledge on a certain subject

Point #5: Privacy

• Con: All personal information shared online can be seen by colleges/potential jobs
• Pro: Sharing pictures/creative videos is easy and people can give you positive feedback on your work and creativity, increasing the confidence a student has in their abilities

Conclusion: I am sure we as young learners have heard a plethora of talks about the negative impacts social media has. But it does not have to be that way. We can be the generation that takes the social media and technology given to us and use it in a way that can only strengthen our academic intelligence, performance, and creativity, thus strengthening the education system as a whole.