How does social media engage communications?  

Social media is the threshold and starting ground for most communication between people in today’s society. It allows us to communicate with various people and builds communities. Social media communications have become necessary for the past three years in the pandemic and post-pandemic world. It has been part of the limited few options of contact. An example of this is the book club Shelley Moore created during the pandemic to build community in an online space. Even though that wasn’t necessarily her intended goal, she found people like herself online with similar mindsets. On the flip side of the conversation with Markiel Simpson, we see how social media is used in communication in the going ons of social justice. I use Instagram and Facebook groups (such as BLM groups or Old Growth Protection groups) to find out when and where protests that I want to participate in are happening and communicate with organizers on those platforms. There are many ways to share on social media to engage in various things, but before it all happens, it starts with a meeting in the middle, which is social media. 

How does social media challenge communications?  

When communicating via text-to-text, it can become challenging as you’re not getting the complete picture of people’s facial expressions and tone. It is all translated through emojis, adding lol to not be taken too seriously or sometimes too many exclamation points. And, of course, this is similar to the worries presented in the Jessica Clark reading that “Apple will make our digital lives easy by taking away our creative choices” or “losing our social souls.” Since we rely so heavily on these forms of communication, it could have a more long-term effect on how we communicate outside these social media spaces. So the more humane forms of communication on social media that we don’t become another form of an AI robot. 

Is it inclusive?  

Social media communication can be inclusive; however, it might be challenging to think about people needing help reading people or understanding the meaning behind their communication through the neutral form of typed-out words. Of course, I can’t speak directly to those who face those difficulties. Still, I have encountered every once in a while where I question what that person means by that tweet or caption and understand in the opposite way it is intended to come across. Then again, maybe for some, the neutrality of text is reassuring since reading people’s emotions IRL can also be challenging and overwhelming. That’s where the inclusivity Shelley Moore mentioned in the reading comes in, where both communication options should be offered depending on how people prefer to communicate and not just assuming because everyone uses the same form that it’s the only way. 

Does your PLN amplify the views of others?  

Your PLN can definitely amplify the views of others and amplify voices. The importance of this statement was echoed in both the Shelley Moore and Markiel Simpson videos (which I really enjoyed). How they use their platforms to share topics and events they’re passionate about, and how notable figures like Markiel mentioned that politicians could amplify their PLN by sharing or reposting what they put out. By doing this, they can bring about social change and expose their platforms to more people who will become educated on important topics and become involved. 

The policies of employer social media communication expectations.  

In most professional settings, if not all, there are policies created around their employees’ use of social media. For example, in my workplace, I work for a municipal government in the parks and recreation sectors, and I work with children and youth. Because of that, my workplace asks their employees to have their social media accounts private, as there were incidents in the past where parents of children and curious youth were following employees, which crossed the professional line. Another factor is that working for a municipal government, your digital presence and how you use it reflects the workplace. Even though you don’t explicitly say in your bio that you are an employee of this workplace, it is easily trackable from your digital footprint returned to you. Now it is customary that all employees have their accounts private. There are no policies against following and interacting with co-workers on social media. However, it’s stressed that a professional relationship is maintained, and discussions about the workplace aren’t public or shared on social media. I know other workplaces are much more serious about their social media communication expectation policies, and my answer to that is that it’s a case-by-case situation. It depends on your job title and position. Some workplaces need strict policies as the job title and workplace could be highly confidential. 

What are the benefits of a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing that understands where you are coming from with messaging that impacts the community? 

Creating a diverse and inclusive PLN on social media is crucial because people want to see themselves on these platforms, have a voice, and be part of the conversation. Platforms with various representatives allow people to learn from diverse perspectives. In many of my previous classes, the idea of social location (race, social class, culture, etcetera) and knowing our social location can help open our eyes to an intersectional framework; coupled with this in the world of social media is vital to make platforms diverse and inclusive. In the Jessica Clark reading, she talks more in-depth about this how public media “actively engage users, allowing them to critique and address those in power, but do not dictate a particular ideological approach. At their best, they do serve as social justice media projects, speaking across social, cultural, and class differences— or cultivating translation and other mechanisms to help self-expression translate across those divides— so that diverse stakeholders can communicate effectively about issues that require public deliberation and action” (Clark, 2011, p. 61). A growing body of like-minded and diverse people can come together on social media platforms to challenge or work with people of power. 

References:

Clark, J., & Aufderheide, P.. (2011). A New Vision for Public Media (pp. 55 – 67). 55–67). https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230119796_5 

“EDCI 338 A01 Week 5 A Conversation with Shelley Moore” Youtube, Uploaded by MILLER, February 7th, 2021, https://youtu.be/YGx0ejnMLVc 

“EDCI – 338 MARKIEL SIMPSON” Youtube, Uploaded by MILLER, June 1st, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs 

Moore, S. (2016). One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. Portage & Main Press.