Social media has changed the landscape of how we learn and interact with others. It has provided some wonderful enhancements to our society, but also has created some worrisome problems. Folks who previously would have difficulty sharing their messages can now do so with ease which has allowed for fundraising efforts, sharing of heartfelt stories and keeping connected to distant family and friends easier. The darker flipside is that individuals and groups use this ease of access to try to indoctrinate others to their way of thinking. Additionally, online bullying is an epidemic affecting us all – most especially our youth.
We have also seen the evolution of social media over the past years, seeing some newcomers on the scene take over in popularity with younger audiences whereas the formerly popular applications have become a place for older generations. We have also watched the rise and fall of Twitter – this platform started as a place to get real time information to the masses and played roles in military and political coups but has evolved into a platform that houses many bots and fake accounts intended to steer the conversations within towards certain political ideologies and value systems. Recently, the newspaper in my small town announced that they will no longer print and distribute the local paper. This coupled with new Federal bill C-18 will drastically reduce the amount of Canadian news that folks in my area will have access to. I would suspect that many social media platform users do not even realize that Canadian news is no longer viewable or shareable on many social media sites.
Is it imperative to have a social media presence today? No. I know many people in my age bracket (35-45) who do not have any social media accounts. They assure me that they do not feel the lack. However, being active on social media is important as it keeps one connected with current trends and also allows for another method of learning about the world in which we live. As the manager of a public health program, it is extremely helpful to see what is popular on social media with different ages of the population to assist in the planning and development of promotional resources and assets. It also provides a lens into evolving cultural norms sooner than other media channels.
Professionalism/professional identity in social media and online in general is an interesting topic to discuss. I most certainly understand the reason to filter your online presence through a professionalism lens as you want to portray yourself as a professional with the associated values and morals. That said, I also feel that I complete this rather innately in my social media and online posting, rather than thinking about it. My posts are things that I would be comfortable with my mother reading and seeing and I would not post something that would intentionally offend a person or group. People can overshare on social media and emotions can colour what and how people interact with others. This is human nature to a certain extent and does need to be diffused with a professional lens.