Technology innovation in education, EDCI 336, is not the first class I have encountered to suggest that post-secondary students should use the social media outlet Twitter. Previously, I actually went so far as to drop a course (the second half of a second-year microbiology course offered at Camosun College) because participating in Twitter was a mandatory course requirement. At that time FaceBook was the only social media outlet I was participating in, but spent less time committed to it then I do now. I am currently participating in both FaceBook and Instagram. A year ago I signed up with Instagram, but since then have considered canceling my account multiple times. This brings me to my first issue with social media, they make it very difficult to figure out how to close your account! However, I have waffled on the idea too many times to take myself seriously. I have considered closing my FaceBook account, but it really is a very useful way to keep in touch with friends abroad! I have friends/acquaintances in Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Ghana, Belize, Venezuela and Mexico City, and if it were not for FaceBook, I would hardly hear from them or them from me! I also use FaceBook as my current-events informer. I follow various news outlets, such as CBC news and AlJazeera (I’m sure there are others, but their names have vacated my brain). So, yes, I have multiple uses for my FaceBook account, which takes me to my second issue with social media, being how much of my life it consumes! It is too easy to scroll through posts, reading an article here and watching a video there, and before you know it, an hour has passed! Therefore, I really do not need another time-sucking social media account. I already have issues balancing my time spent on the many electronic forms of communication! It’s not only social media, it’s email (work and personal), text messaging, other messaging apps such as WhatsApp, FaceBook Messenger, have I missed any, very likely! I miss the days where I was not so easily reachable! I suppose my age is showing right about now, but it is my truth and that is why I limit myself, and I will likely continue to drop forms of electronic communications in the future. The recluse in me is coming out!
I feel you Rande! Your rant is not unlike the feelings I have myself. I HATE how I can lose an hour after getting “sucked in”, when I know that time could have been spent on more fruitful pursuits.
Also.. super weird that a Micro course had Twitter use as a mandatory thing. Do you mind telling me who the instructor was?
I have found though, that Twitter has been pretty useful for staying on top of news and current events, as it seems to be a little more free of “The Algorithm” than Facebook and Instagram are, so you don’t have to go digging for pages to show up on your main feed. As well, it’s SUPER interesting right now with the Federal election campaign in full swing: you get to watch political candidates interact with each other in real time, and don’t have to have it filtered through a news agency.
Thank you for your comment.
I know, right? Very odd to have any science course have Twitter-participation as a course requirement, but I suppose that reflects on the networking movement. I will tell you the name of the instructor in person.
I suppose any social media outlet has its advantages.