Students are currently experiencing an exchange of ideas, resources, and information beyond textbooks and classroom lectures using social media.
Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and many others have offered students free access to online communication and information.  In this article, we are going to talk about how the use of social media contributes to improving learning and teaching. We will also discuss the different types of social media and how you can use them effectively, but before we look into that, quickly run through the content below and learn what social media is.

What Is Social Media?

Social media is computer-based applications that facilitate the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. They are websites designed to allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time. Social media has different categories based on their various functions. Read also: Washington Media Fellows Scholarship 2022

Types Of Social Media

Before you get started, you have to keep in mind that all social media platforms are not created equally. They are categorized according to hyper-specific user interests and technological features. While social networks like Facebook and Twitter help you connect with people, Discussion forums like Reddit and Quora create a platform for you to share news and ideas. With that in mind, you can choose where to invest your time. Check out the various categories of social media below.

Social Networks

Social networks also refer as “relationship networks,” help people and organizations connect online to share information and ideas. As a student, you can share information, photos, videos, and more through these sites. These platforms are mainly designed for sharing knowledge and connecting with people. Example Include;

FacebookTwitterLinkedIn

Media Sharing Networks

If you searching for the most visual types of social media platforms, connect with media sharing networks. With these sites, you can create different types of social media campaigns. Generally, media sharing networks focus on sharing photos and videos, and live videos. These media sharing networks are a great place for teachers to share lecture videos and hold a live class with students. Business owners can also share visual content and engage their audience. Examples of Media sharing networks are;

InstagramYouTubeSnapchatTiktokImgurPinterest

Discussion networks

Another type of social media platform recommended for students is Discussion Networks. These social platforms are where to find, discuss, and share news, information, and opinions. These are the sites where people go to find out what everyone’s talking about. They follow up content threads to see other people’s posts and comments. Users on these sites are generally expressive. Below are the discussion networks available for you.

reddit Quora DiggNairaland

Interest-based networks

This is a great social media platform that connects you with others around a shared interest or hobby. Interest-based networks are focused solely on a single subject, such as books, music, or home design.  There are good sites to keep up with current trends. Below are three social media options for Interest-based networks:

Goodreads Houzz Last.fm

Social Blogging Networks

Social blogging networks are unique types of social media that requires creating constant content to publish. They provide people with tools to publish content online in formats that encourage discovery, sharing and commenting. Some of the social blogging platforms Include:

WordPressTumblr

The social media highlighted above offers plenty of opportunities for enhancing learning and interactivity, and students are benefitting from these platforms. 

Benefits Of Social Media For Students

A lot of people believe that social media is a huge distraction to students, while their opinion is not totally wrong, there is still the great reasons why the use of social media in education should be encouraged.

Educational ToolShare informationSocial media marketingNews UpdatesGlobal ExposureFind Friends With Similar InterestEnhanced Learning management systemsResearch WorkBuilding Supportive Online CommunitiesDistance Learning OpportunitiesSocial Media Use for AwarenessIncrease Social Interaction Among StudentsSocial Media Helps In Internship And Job SearchMeeting with mentors and expertsCreating digital portfoliosParticipating in group workWeb Engagements

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1. Educational Tool

Social Media can prove to be a useful tool for learning in colleges and universities. Students have access to modern tech gadgets with internet connectivity like laptops, iPad, and smartphones that allow them to explore different social media platforms. Also, educators can leverage this knowledge; They set up Webinars, online discussion forums, and other such platforms to enhance the college education process.

2. Share information

Students share views, opinions, tips, projects, study material, and other such useful stuff with each other. They exchange helpful information for classes and examinations. Social media enhances student’s communication skills; They develop a great ability to access, evaluate, maintain, and share information.

3. Social media marketing

Social media marketing can serve as a side hustle idea for students. It is seen upon as a skill that is an emerging career option that prepares them to become successful marketers. Students are extensively carrying out social media strategies for several companies all over the world.

4. News Updates

Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram keep students well informed about the lives of their friends and family it also keeps them updated on various trending news from around the world. You simply look at the news feed and have a snapshot of job openings, new technology developments, entertainment, and news updates from around the world.

5. Global Exposure

The use of social media allows students can share and learn about loads of content each day on informative websites, tutorial videos, and webinar links. The use of the internet makes it easy to access vast amounts of information on any topic you can ever imagine. As a student, you can also share your discoveries with your peers. Social media gives you a chance of interacting with teachers and students from across the world, share knowledge, seek help, hold discussions, and watch classroom videos of renowned professors.

6. Find Friends With Similar Interest

Social media provides a platform where you can look for more opportunities, followers, and even finds people with similar interests and hobbies. 

7. Enhanced Learning management systems

Learning management systems is a networking software application designed for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs.  Basically, social media learning in LMS includes instant chat functions, video, forums to share info and other lesson resources to help students. Most LMS’s are integrated with built-in social media and this allows users to interact with the system. The system strengthens student participation and makes team projects easy to collaborate.

8. It helps In Research Process

Social media offers students a great platform to extract data. You can find out how people’s opinions on a particular subject matter or how experts perceive and advise on specific issues. If you are a student working on a project or assignment, social media can help students gather information and produce useful content for research.

9. Building Supportive Online Communities

Online or internet community help to create a feeling of belonging and pride in any organization. It enables members to stay updated with news and the latest happenings, which would otherwise be hard to share with everyone. Through online communities, you get sports updates, individual student achievement, or a new recycling project being undertaken by members of staff at your fingertip.  It also helps alumni or prospective students or staff to keep up to date and get a flavor of the school’s character. You can reconnect with your colleagues who have already graduated for future collaborations.

10. Distance Learning Opportunities

There are many disadvantaged students who cannot afford a traditional college, but social media tools makes it possible for them to acquire a formal education through distance learning programs. Today, hosting live lectures via Skype or webinars via Zoom is the way forward to allowing students who live in remote areas of the world to access education.

11. Social Media Use for Awareness

Social media is the best and cheaper way of communicating with other people. By using social media, you can easily contact and deliver messages to peoples. College students use social media to create awareness and share it with their colleagues. For example, you can tag or mention your friend in a post or comment on awareness and the person will get notified about that thing instantly.

12. Increase Social Interaction Among Students

In today’s world, social media is the most popular communication channel. It has a great impact on the way we live and changes our way of interaction with other peoples. It allows you to connect with people easily. By using social media you can contact with an old school friend whom we lost contact for a long time. Social media increase a lot the human interaction we can find it very easily simply by opening the social media and search for the desired person or business also. Read also: Social Sciences Scholarships

Do you know to get get a job offer through social media? Most of the successful companies are using social media for finding candidates. Platforms like LinkedIn make provision for job seekers to connect with potential employers. You can make your profile on LinkedIn and the companies can contact and offer you by looking at your profile. In addition to job search, a lot of people use social media to connect mentors.

14. Students can build social credibility

Social networks can help you as a student to build a digital portfolio for your career. This prepares and positions your career to have social credibility. As social networks interactions advance in education systems, social media will become the number one means for solving education problems. Students are encouraged to get a digital marketing qualification. This can lead to various social media and marketing job paths.

15. Parental Involvement

Every parent want to get involve in their children’s learning. They want to stay updated on school-related activities, projects, and events that are happening. Parent’s also like to get in touch with teachers in case they want to share the child’s progress via Skype or other secure online platforms the institution uses. A social network for parents can be created via WhatsApp, Twitter, or Facebook Messenger, which can enable them to be informed about school matters, learning, and education. Parents’ involvement and academic support at home raise students’ consciousness about their studies and thus improve students’ performance at school.

16. Participating in group work

Social media is very helpful when it comes to communication. When teachers send in assignments or group projects, students turn to social media to collaborate. They create a group chat using Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Google Hangouts in particular, for things like advanced science projects.

17. Web Engagements

Students using social media can share tools, resources, and useful website links to each other and use anyone’s shared file and information through the post. In fact, they can share all their achievements and projects online to share it with the world allowing them to create their own online presence. The use of social media also makes it easier and faster for students to interact with teachers. Students within a few clicks can also share and transfer all the study related matters and topics. 

18. Social Media Improves Reading Skills

Social media sites are in the most part interactive and contain eye-catching animations and thus keep even the lazies of a student involved. Such online activities will draw the attention of students and help them to develop a stronger reading habit and this gradually improves their writing skills. Although Social media presents a lot of benefits, it also has some major drawbacks.

What Are The Disadvantages of Social Media on Youth In Society

The following are the dangers and negative impacts of social media on the life of students and youths.

Addiction: Most students use social media a lot that they are always busy online, reading newsfeed, and commenting on posts.Distraction: Social media distract students from their studies and educational goals.Decreases Face-to-Face Communication Skills: Students that use social media regularly may lose their ability to engage in face to face communication. Even if the world is turning to technology, students must know how to communicate in the real world.Cyberbullying: Students may write hurtful messages about other students and this could scar students for life.Students may post inappropriate content like pornography on social media. This will defeat the purpose of the medium altogether. 

Knowing the dangers and risks of technology tools; students are called on to take advantage of the opportunities the digital world presents and to use these tools to do good in the world.

Tricks Of Using Social Media As Learning Tools

It is possible to avoid the wrong usage of social media if you apply the tips below;

Create a Facebook group for your class and ensure that you post notes to remind your students about the instructions of important assignments, as well as the submission deadlines.Constantly search for new online resources that make learning fun, and share the links in the group.Share book reviews, history research papers, and other assignments that students usually submit in print on the blog site. Introduce a daily hashtag on twitter related to a certain topic you elaborated in class.Use YouTube for the flipped classroom concept.

Read also: 21 Best Free Social Media Online Classes In 2021 Beginners & Experts

Frequently Asked Question On Benefits Of Social Media For Students

Conclusion

The use of social media in the education sector has made learning a fun experience. Students are learning and adapting to the world using a relatively new form of communication that is faster, time-saving & more effective. There is great potential that social media will revolutionize education in the world.

References

50+ Social Media Post Ideas for Your Business Account9 ways real students use social media for good: iste.org15+ ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUTH IN SOCIETY: adilblogger.comSocial Media In Education: Can They Improve The Learning?: elearningindustry.comTOP 5 BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR STUDENTS: elearningindustry.comThree major educational benefits of social media: newtimes.co.rw7 ways in which students can use social media to their advantage: jagranjosh.comBenefits of Social Media for Student and Business: yourstory.comThe Role of Social Media in Education: lcibs.co.uk10 Types of Social Media and How Each Can Benefit Your Business: blog.hootsuite.com5 Types of Social Media and Examples of Each: webfx.comBenefits of Using Social Media in Schools: blog.kamiapp.com

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