Advantages of Using Social Media for Students

in Education
Social Media can increase student collaboration. Students become friends with their
classmates on social media and are more likely to collaborate on projects. This can
lead to higher retention rates as students become more connected to the institution.  
Faculty can use social media as a way to get students to participate. Many students are
naturally shy in person, and many may not speak up in a classroom, but that may not
be the case on social media. Today’s students grew up on social media, and for many,
it is the natural way to interact. Faculty can ask questions on social media such as
Twitter and students can answer those questions, by including a specific hashtag. This
not only allows the faculty to find the student answers but also allows other students
to see what others are answering and create a dialog. Many learning management
systems incorporate a discussion board to accomplish this same educational
pedagogy but are just as useful if not more by using a social media platform in
Education.   Social Media can be useful for team projects. Many colleges stress the
importance of the soft skill of working in groups. Social Media sites can be helpful to
increase this ability as the students can hold meetings in real time and work on their
projects. This enhances the likelihood that they will also spend time together working
on projects and may not have to make time to meet in person all the time as the
project progresses. Having teams work together using social media only strengthens
advantage one and two of your educational activities.   Social media can provide a
richer experience for resources. Videos, resource websites, and tutorials can be shared
very easily with the entire classroom at the click of the button. This eliminates the
need for students to copy website links from a handout and have the risk of mistyping.
It is much easier just to click a link than to type it.   Video Conferencing in the
Classroom is also a significant benefit. Using social networking sites such as Google
Plus will allow the use of Google Hangouts. These sort of resources can be used to
setup class sessions where everyone can collaborate through video in real time.
Google Hangouts can also be saved for future reference, in case one of the students
has a conflict and can not make the meeting. These are just a few of the many
advantages of using social media in education, but like anything else, where there is
an advantage there are also disadvantages of social media in education

Five Advantages of Social Networking

1. Worldwide Connectivity

No matter if you are searching for a former college roommate, your first grade
teacher, or an international friend, no easier or faster way to make a connection exists
than social media. Although Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest are probably
the most well-known social networking communities, new websites are popping up
regularly that let people connect and interact over the Web.
With each of these sites, individuals can make new friends, build business
connections or simply extend their personal base by connecting and interacting with
friends of friends - which can have a multiplying effect.

These connections can help with a variety of things such as:

 Finding romance
 Seeking a new job
 Locating assistance
 Getting and giving product and service referrals
 Receiving support from like-minded individuals
 Making or receiving career or personal advice
 Sharing political beliefs
 Accessing news in real time

In many ways, these social communities are the virtual equivalent of church socials
where family and friends gather to exchange news and get updates. Even the age-old
custom of connecting with pen pals has been upgraded as private messages can be
sent over social media. When it comes to getting information, few methods are faster
than social media.

2. Commonality of Interest

When you opt to participate in a social network community, you can pick and choose
individuals whose likes and dislikes are similar to yours and build your network
around those commonalities. For instance, if you are a chess aficionado, a book lover
or have a particular political leaning, you can find and interact with those who share
your interest.

It can also be a great way to share tips and ideas. Sites like Pinterest have been very
successful due to the ease in which a person can learn - and share - information about
hobbies, crafts, cooking, gardening and other do-it-yourself activities. By pinning and
sharing, you can attract like-minded individuals into your circle.

But, just as these virtual groups can help hobbyists exchange ideas and techniques,
other social network groups offer solutions for more vexing, real-world problems. For
example, social media groups can be lifelines for individuals suffering from a rare
disease. Churches, synagogues and temples also use social media to reach out to
members who may be unable to attend services.

3. Real-Time Information Sharing

Many social networking sites incorporate an instant messaging feature, which lets
people exchange information in real-time via a chat. This is a great feature for
teachers to use to facilitate classroom discussions because it lets them utilize the vast
store of information available on the Web. This can be a great time saver for the
teacher - since students no longer need to visit a library to conduct research- and it can
be a great way to engage distracted learners.
School is not the only setting where this type of real-time information sharing can be
beneficial. Social networking can provide a tool for managers to utilize in team
meetings, for conference organizers to use to update attendees and for business people
to use as a means of interacting with clients or prospects. Some leaders are going so
far as to include Tweets or other social media updates during presentations. This
approach can make events more interactive and help the presenter reach a larger
audience.

Positives
Social networking has lots of good points

You can express yourself, showing off your favourite song lyrics or posting pictures
of your new outfit. It is a lot harder to feel embarrassment over the internet than in
person, so people find it easier to vent their feelings on sites like Facebook.

In fact, it has become so much a part of people's lives that you can learn someone's
life story just by checking their page. Their friends, likes and dislikes, relationship
status, phone number, address…everything.

You can share your feelings and your mental stresses - and it is a great way to
entertain yourself after a busy daily routine.

It also makes it a lot easier to keep in touch with family and friends, especially if they
live far away. But you can also make new friends by connecting with friends of
friends that you might not know

FRIENDS

It has never been easier to make friends than it is right now. And that’s mainly
thanks to social networking sites. Just a few decades ago it was pretty tough to
connect with people, unless you were the overly outgoing type able to make
conversation with anyone at a party.It’s entirely possible to have hundreds of
friends on Facebook. They may not be friends you know on a personal level and
spend time with in the real world on a weekly basis. But they’re friends nonetheless.
There are several people I consider friends who I have never met — in fact, I may
never meet them — but that doesn’t lessen the connection we have thanks to social
networks.
EMPATHY

Each of us spends a little too long talking about ourselves on social networking sites,
even if we’re vaguebooking. Which is perfectly natural. We’re sharing our lives — the
ups and downs, the twists and turns — with people we think will care.They generally
do care, and will tell you so. They will listen to what you have to say, and help you
deal with any problems you may be facing. If this isn’t the case, then you may want to
find new friends.

The point is that by all of us sharing our experiences, both good and bad, on social
networking sites, we’re able to empathize with each other. A friend may have gone
through a similar ordeal that you are currently going through, and they will be able to
help you get through it.You’ll also be able to see for yourself that they made it out the
other side, that this issue didn’t derail them, and that they are perhaps better for the
experience.Social networking sites can act as a kind of group therapy session

IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD

It isn’t just your inner circle of close friends and even closer family members that
social networking sites allow you to communicate with easily and effectively. Social
networks have the power to open the world up to you, making it a smaller place than
it has ever been before.

So much so that I actually haven’t a clue where many of my contacts reside. When it
comes to social networks everyone is equal, regardless of location.

Family members living abroad can be kept abreast of the latest happenings in your
world as quickly as those living next door. Friends you haven’t seen since school, and
who have since moved away, are able to keep in touch. While location-based services
such as Foursquare and Swarm put an emphasis on your location, social networking
as a whole means it has become a lot less important.

SPEEDY COMMUNICATION

Our time is being stretched thinner and thinner by work and family commitments.
But social networking sites offer a chance to communicate in a speedy and efficient
manner. Writing an update for Twitter takes all of 20 seconds, and with cross-posting
to other social networks switched on, that update reaches everyone you want it to
reach (and probably more besides) in an instant.One of the reasons I dislike making
phone calls is the unnecessary banter they necessitate. You can’t just say what you
want to say and then hang up. Because doing so is seen as downright rude. Instead,
you have to swap pleasantries before saying what you want to say, and then swap
more pleasantries before the conversation comes to a natural conclusion.

Social networking sites allow you to live a life unhindered by small talk
FINDING COMMON GROUND IN AN OPEN SOCIETY

As previously mentioned, social networking sites can help you find people you share
interests with. Facebook, for example, asks you to list who and what you are
interested in right from the start. This makes it much easier to find common ground
with other users.On Twitter you should be following those who have something to
say that you’re interested in, making connections with like-minded individuals much
easier than it is offline.

This does require the sharing of information, and giving up a certain amount of
privacy. Which is enough for some people to reject social networking outright.
Keeping key personal information private is necessary, but sharing your likes and
dislikes, interests and obsessions, and thought and views actually contributes to an
open society.Social networking sites make fitting in easier, as long as you open up a
little.
Disadvantages of Social Media for Students in
Education
Students can get distracted and start using the social media for their
purposes and not pay attention to the educational content. Distraction is
going to happen to a certain extent, and there is not a lot the faculty member
can do to prevent it. They key to explain to the students that you are using
social media as an educational resource, and they need to stay focused on
those tasks during classroom participation. Using the feedback model for
answering questions listed in the advantages of social media will help to
reduce this disadvantage.     Posting inappropriate content can also be a
significant problem. This can damage the reputation of the educational
institution and likely one of the reasons that many educational institutions
have not embraced social media. This can be overcome by ensuring you
have the proper social media policies in place and dealing with students who
violate the plan in a manner that still encourages social interaction, but lets
them know they need to remain professional. The risk of these sorts of
incidents can typically be reduced with proper education of the students.
Students, especially those in college that posting inappropriate content on
social networks can not only hurt them in their classes but also raise a red
flag to potential employers that the student may not be a good fit. Many
companies now use social media posts as a background check before hiring
and having content you would not want your mother to ready could reduce
the chance of a student landing a great job. It has many of the social media
interaction applications and still will allow you to keep your social media in
education somewhat protected and private.   Relying too much on social
media for communication can stifle a student’s ability to interact in person.
This is a problem throughout society and not just limited to education. Many
of today’s youth have grown up with technology and many times it is easier
for them just to communicate online and not in person. That is one of the
reasons to incorporate video conferencing into the classroom as part of your
strategy. Having the student interact through a social media technology such
as Google Hangouts, can sometimes break the ice and allow them to
communicate better in person. This is one of the main reasons that social
media in education should be a supplement to your educational activities
and not the only method of instructional delivery.   These are just a few of the
advantages of social media in education and also some of the potential
disadvantages. Social media can be a powerful enhancement to the way students
learn. It does take some planning and thought process before
implementation. Know any other practical strategies for using social media in the
classroom?  Please let us know in the comments.
1. Backlash

A joke among friends is one thing but a joke with the world at-large is much
different. When potentially offensive content is posted online, the amount of
feedback can be excessive and is often brutal. This is particularly true with highly
opinionated subjects like politics and religion. This backlash can also have a long-
term impact on a person's future, especially in a world that has fallen prey to over-
sharing. Even high school students are learning that comments they post on social
media can influence whether a college approves their application for admission.

In an age where selfies are the norm, the over-sharing may even be altering our
worldview by creating a more narcistic mindset.

2. Cyberbullying and Crimes Against Children

Use of social networks may expose individuals to other forms of harassment or even
inappropriate contact. This can be especially true for teens and younger children.
Unless parents diligently filter the Web content their family views, children could be
exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content.

Besides unleashing age-inappropriate content, the digital age also gave birth to a
social phenomenon - cyberbullying. It is often levied more harshly against young
females that males and, unlike traditional bullying, it is not limited to physical
interaction. Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Adding
to this realm of cyber abuse are the anonymous social media sites which can elevate
the severity of the assault - under the false promise of privacy.

3. Risks of Fraud or Identity Theft

Whether you like it or not, the information you post on the Internet is available to
almost anyone who is clever enough to access it. Most thieves need just a few vital
pieces of personal information to make your life a nightmare. If they successfully
steal your identity, it could cost you dearly. A report on Bankrate reveals Millennials
are one of the fastest growing groups to be victims. This is linked to the group's
comfort with sharing everything online - including personal information.

4. Time Waster

Business Insider reports that social media is the most popular use of the Internet -
surpassing email - and smartphones and other mobile devices seem to be the driving
force behind this trend since 60 percent of the traffic is from a mobile source. The
GlobalWebIndex poll shows that 28 percent of the time spent online is on social
networks. With these type of numbers, some of the time spent on social media
occurs at work. When these visits are for non-work related activity, it can cost
companies money through lost productivity. A report on Forbes states that 89
percent of responders admitted to wasting time on social media while at work.
5. Corporate Invasion of Privacy

Social networking invites major corporations to invade your privacy and sell your
personal information. Have you ever posted a comment on Facebook, only to notice
an advertisement appear with content related to your post? Last year, Facebook
earned an estimated $16 billion in ad revenue. That's not bad for a free site.

If Facebook and other social networking sites don't charge their members, however,
how do they make so much money? They do it by selling the ability to specifically
target advertisements. On social networking sites, the website isn't the product - the
users are. These sites run algorithms that search for keywords, web browsing habits,
and other data stored on your computer or social networking profile and provide
you with advertisements targeted specifically to you.

Negatives
Not everyone in the 21st century thinks about the negative effects of having social
networking accounts - but simple things like not setting your privacy settings properly
or liking someone's photo can have bad results.

Cyberbullying can be a problem as people can take advantage of the fact that there is
no one who can effectively stop the bullying when it happens, due to everything being
performed behind a screen. The only way for a bully to be stopped is if they are
reported and victims may be too intimidated to do it.

Social networking can also ruin relationships as people may get jealous if they find
out their boyfriend or girlfriend is exchanging messages with other people.

It can also be a waste of time as people can visit a site to check on thing and end up
spending the whole day 'behind the screen' and as a result, not doing anything useful
with their lives