You may remember a time when television was the main platform for appealing to and capturing the attention of Americans. While television hasn’t exactly gone the way of the radio just yet, the beginning of the twenty-first century has plunged us into the age of social media. Social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Instagram, and Pinterest (just to name a few) have mastered the art of tailoring advertising to an individual’s interests and the interests of their friends. This is where the power of social media lies: in the personal connection that can be formed between the media itself and the viewer. This personal touch- the way social media can know just what you like and how it can reach you anywhere you are (it’s on your phone likely within arm’s reach right now!) is what makes it a fascinating new tool for education purposes.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has not passed up the alluring opportunity to reach the public through social media. By simply clicking the “Like” button, you become immersed in beautiful graphics paired with credible and simple advice from registered dietitians. What is the most interesting to me is how these posts can be likened to a snapshot of a PSA you might have seen on TV 10 years ago or a poster you might glance at for a fraction of a second at the public library. The difference is that this type of information is ubiquitous since it can reach you every time you connect to social media on your phone or computer AND the more you look at it, the more your friends are likely to be recommended to see it because that’s how social media thrives. Social media is such an amazingly powerful tool for education!
image retrieved from eatright.org Facebook page
Delving deeper into the Academy’s Facebook page uncovers more reliable advice regarding ways to avoid stress eating and how to be successful at increasing physical activity level as well as posts like the one linked below teaching us about a “new” grain called Freekeh, which is one of my favorite recent posts by the Academy. Take a look!
click here to see the eatright.org post!
As a prospective nutrition educator I think it is of the utmost importance to understand the power of social media and use it to my advantage when designing educational material for our generation. It is important to know how best to reach your audience if you want to be effective in your intervention. I could make the best educational material around but if no one sees it, then it was all for naught. This is why it will be important for me to utilize any and all social media platforms when appealing to the public in the future.
I think some people may find it surprising to see a professional organization such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics representing themselves on a social media site, but when you click on their “About” tab, you can see that they are not only educating people on Facebook, but also on Twitter, Google+, and YouTube!
Finding nutrition education material on Facebook is truly a sign of the times and a commendable effort on the part of the Academy to effectively reach so many people with their clear, concise information paired with great graphics and fun articles and videos. Kudos!