Weekly Reflection #2 – “Social Media in Education”
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Today we discussed ideas and issues surrounding “Social Media in Education” with the guest speaker, Jesse Miller. After reflecting on our class today, I am left considering the question of “What would you tell your younger self about social media today?” My first experience with social media was when I received an iPod Touch in grade four, which I used primarily for Musical.ly and various games. Personally, I would tell my nine-year-old self to write down a password for my accounts, so I wouldn’t be haunted by embarrassing videos that are forever online and attached to my name. Although my Musical.lys are just fun, innocent videos, it is still something that I am having to deal with years later.
This leaves me to reflect on the idea of one’s digital footprint. Even content that may seem funny or insignificant at the time may be something we look back on differently as we get older. As such, this also reminds me that we cannot control who views, shares or saves content once something is posted online. Thankfully, I have always been relatively considerate of what I choose to post on my social media. Interestingly, Jesse Miller revealed that anything you post or share on Snapchat is open to be resurfaced later. Yet, this app is entirely marketed as a way to share real-time pictures and videos to friends that automatically disappear after being viewed. Learning this now makes me question whether other apps can still access deleted content that users believe has been permanently erased.
Furthermore, Jesse Miller’s statement that “normal keeps changing” really stood out to me. Although it may seem like a simple concept, it perfectly encapsulates how quickly online trends evolve, often before we have fully understood or learned how to properly navigate them. At one point, the newest internet craze was social media. Now, just when social media has become quite familiar, we are facing the new challenges and dangers associated with AI. This highlights how it is nearly impossible to keep up and with the dangers of technology trends. Referring back to advice for my younger self, I would encourage myself to always be thoughtful in what I engage in, and try my best to be knowledgeable about the newest online trend. As such, I now know that just because something is popular or seemed to be “safe,” may not be entirely true. Moving forward, I hope to apply this advice and be a safer user of technology.