What does it mean to network using social media?

Social media is a critical part of the way people in many walks of life communicate. When a person networks using social media, it means they are in the process of creating, building, and nurturing virtual communities and relationships between people online.  Networking is also a key skill in a person’s professional career as it can be used to support the individual’s growth and learning (Rajagopal et al.).   By using technology in this way, you are effectively creating your own personal learning network (PLN) that has three layers of connections and relationships. They are: friends and personal mentors. The next layer includes groups that share our interests but are not necessarily close friends and the final layer include experts, professionals, and celebrities (Gutierrez).

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

Social network sites have gained tremendous popularity as online hangout spaces for both youth and adults. People flock to them to socialize with their friends and acquaintances, to share information with interested others, and to see and be seen. People who are motivated to learn and interact socially or for professional purposes can be defined and theorized by Connectivism. Connectivism shows us that a “PLN is a person’s way to get a continuous stream of knowledge and space to exchange thoughts and ideas while receiving validation of their contributions to the network and the challenges they rise to” (Gutierrez). 

What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

The Risks:  The biggest risk that comes with being involved in public communication is your privacy. When you share information about yourself, you may not realize that you no longer own that information and by sharing it publicly, it can now be networked without your permission. By doing this, you also hand over control of our information to have anyone and everyone to interpret it (Boyd 2). For example, when you sign up to use a specific service, you may not be aware of what personal data you are agreeing to share. Some people will agree to the terms and conditions of a website without even reading them. This is why Boyd suggests shifting to a privacy model that focuses on usage and interpretation of data (Boyd 2).

The Rewards:  Public communications have changed how we connect to others and has provided a continuous stream of learning, resources and ways of thinking about topics that matter to you (Gutierrez). The physical barriers that once existed are no longer as we are bale to connect with anyone at anytime all over the world. Professionally, social media and technology allows us to collaborate and have access to endless professional resources.

References:

Boyd, Danah. “Networked Privacy.” Surveillance & Society, 22 December 2012. https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/networked/networked.

Gutierrez, Karla. “What are Personal Learning Networks?” SHIFT, 21 June 2016. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644.

Rajagopal, Kamakshi, et al. “Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them.” https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131