This week learning about Personal Learning Networks (PLN) wasn’t a new concept but a new perspective and a new term for using technology and social media platforms. Furthermore, how they serve as a learning community and how much work goes into their development. I especially liked the Future Learn video, which mentioned that learning isn’t only happening in the classrooms but all around us on these social networks online. When I think if it applies to myself, I find myself realizing how much I do learn anytime I open Instagram or any social media and read a post about, say, mindfulness or social justice or simply an influencer posting about how their day’s going; I’m always learning something new. In one of my French classes, we talked about how we read way more than we realize in our day-to-day compared to our grandparents and parents reading the newspaper or book every day. We are constantly consuming new information and evolving rapidly with technology. 

In the What is Personal Learning Networks reading, I found it interesting that Karla Gutierrez states that PLNs are not new. Still, technology continues to expand its platforms and creates new ones to reach as many people as possible. Which Gutierrez notes removes barriers of time zones and physical distance. It got me thinking about how this idea of expansion has allowed us to connect with people across the country and around the globe. It presents the benefits of opening one eyes to different cultures, learning, awareness, building connections and taking the concept of a pen pal to another level. These networks, mainly social media, are more connected than ever with the happenings of people worldwide compared to thirty years ago. Social media and networked cultures have magnified the way our lives are entwined with algorithmic and social strings, as discussed in the Networked Privacy article by Donah Boyd. Boyd notes that this magnification will only keep growing over time, where we will become so entangled that more network privacy challenges will come about and that asserting individual boundaries and privacy will be vital in avoiding those challenges. Claiming those boundaries is essential to maintain the wall between personal and professional networks on social media. It has now become a tale as old as time that authority figures (such as politicians on Twitter) use their professional networks to power personal vendettas, thus blurring the lines on whether their social networks are for professional or personal gain and neglecting professionalism altogether. Thus presenting itself with harmful and negative impacts and an uncontrolled social media presence.

Finally, to answer the question: How are we motivated to participate in networked publics? Personal reasons drive our motivation to participate in these networked publics. As Gutierrez says, no two PLNs are not equal and are all unique. So how to participate in these networks is based on what motivates us personally, and I think there’s a give and take with that as well. I first heard about networking in an entrepreneur class, where networking is used to advance a business. The second time I learnt the term networking was in a course on global connections, and it was defined as the process of fostering new relationships and job opportunities in foreign countries when immigrating. Now, learning a third definition of the term networks and networking, it’s evident to me how yes, it builds community. However, there’s a personal catalyst for the motivation to network and build networks. 

References:

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked privacy. Surveillance & Society, 10(3/4), 348–350. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529

Gutierrez, K. (n.d.). What are personal learning networks?. What are Personal Learning Networks? https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks

What is a personal learning network (PLN)?. FutureLearn. (2022). https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644