The Role of Social Media in Education

Social media has taken the world by storm. What started out as MySpace many years ago evolved into Facebook, the world’s first truly dominant social media platform. Of course, in the wake of Facebook, numerous other platforms have developed. Instagram became the marquee platform when it comes to sharing images and videos. Snapchat became a great way for people to send images that would self-delete. Of course, Twitter is used to disseminate news, particularly during times of crisis. Even TikTok, which has had some concerns, has given rise to the catchphrase, “becoming TikTok famous.” Now, the education industry is starting to recognize the value of social media in the classroom as well.

For years, educators were concerned that social media would serve as a distraction to their students. Now, they have decided to embrace the change. There is a role for social media in the world of education and this comes as a way for students to gather more useful information by learning about the experiences of others. Through social media, students have the ability to connect with other people in a virtual manner. They can learn what it is like to go to schools in other parts of the country. Through social media, they might even be able to take classes in a different setting. In this fashion, social media has the power to make the education of students more comprehensive than ever before.

This has become particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, many students are being forced to stay home and go to school virtually. This has given rise to the phrase “distance learning.” Because students are no longer able to be in a physical classroom, social media has become more important. Teachers can use social media to distribute information to their students on various projects. Students can work in teams using social media, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy during a difficult time. Without a doubt, this pandemic has put social media in the spotlight as it is used to not only disseminate news but also help students stay on track with their education.

While this pandemic has adversely impacted everyone in some way, the hope is that out of this pandemic, schools will be in a better position to leverage the power of technology moving forward. While social media can be a distraction in some situations, it can also be a major tool that can benefit students in the classroom. Now, during this time of distance learning, people are starting to realize exactly that.