Why Social Media is Good, Educationally
Written By: Yufei Wu
Student at school hides phone behind textbook.
Covid. The topic discussed around the world for almost two years. It has kept everyone isolated, changing the standard way of communication: from in-person to distance. With that being said, as the value of distance communication increases, the usage of certain apps also increases. And what are those “certain” apps? Social Media. Over the past two years, social media has become increasingly popular, and students are no exception. In fact, 97% of teens ranging from 13 to 17 years old use at least one social media platform, and 75% of students report having at least one active social media account. As social media popularity increases, a new question arises: Is it truly better than how it was 20 years ago, when people only had phones with a few buttons on them and had to press multiple buttons just to type the letter, “b?” There’s a lot of prejudice regarding phones, either “you’re too young to understand life without having a smartphone,” or “It’s too distracting.” Well, actually, Social Media can be beneficial, educationally. With social media, students can communicate more efficiently, showcase their individual talents more comfortably, and be updated on helpful information that may not otherwise be provided.
Students can communicate more easily with social media, making more connections. It can also increase class participation because of how detached it is. As a quite extreme introvert myself, I feel awkward just approaching someone and starting a conversation—-especially if they’re next to other people, because I’ll feel like an outsider interrupting their conversation. Think about it, [elaborate here] Yes, this is a bit exaggerated, but you’ll probably think they’re weird.
With in-person communication, the people engaged are expected to respond immediately. However, with social media, or distance communication, the people communicating can take time to process the other party’s words before responding. This is helpful because speaking face to face can often result in misunderstandings, as offensive words will inadvertently be spoken. I’m sure many others can relate to this, accidentally saying something offensive to your friend and having a fallout in your friendship. In class, again, shy or introverted people will generally be more afraid to raise their hands and answer questions because of that one slight chance that they’ll get it wrong and embarrass themselves. However, since social media is online and more detached, a sense of anonymity is created, leading to more participation from those who overthink or are afraid.
With social media, you can connect with people worldwide, which is a lifesaver for those without the ability, time, or money to visit different places— considering that we are all currently stuck in quarantine. Along with the ability to connect with more people, individuals can showcase their talents much more comfortably on social media platforms. Some people may not be comfortable showing their talents in person because they fear the direct attention they might receive…or attracting some quite questionable people. Well good news for them, they can just use an online platform! All platforms provide you the option to not show your face while showcasing talents such as drawing, playing instruments, sports, and singing. It allows you to receive constructive or positive feedback without feeling exposed, which is a huge plus for many of us.
Social media lets people be updated on news and other valuable or important information that may not be otherwise provided. As you may all know, schools never provide news or information considered “controversial.” Did they say anything about the voting between Trump and Biden? No. About the war between Russia and Ukraine? No. If you only rely on information provided by the school, there’s a high possibility for you to be left behind by those who are updated on news.
Furthermore, this might’ve not happened to everyone, but sometimes, teachers put things much harder on tests/exams than what they’ve taught. Your grade is probably going to drop after that test if you don’t do some extra studying outside of class. Well, unless you’re a genius, of course. Also, if your teacher doesn’t post their lessons, it will be difficult to catch up if you’re absent for a few days. For example, my friend once had a bad cold and was absent for the entire week. When she returned, she found it almost impossible to catch up with her classmates. However, she had pretty good connections online and asked those really smart people for help. With social media, you can search for things you don’t understand to catch up to all your other classmates if you’re ever absent!! (Or if you just want to be ahead of everyone.)
Let me end by saying that social media has contributed immensely to our everyday lives. Positively. It is beneficial and should be allowed in school, as students can communicate more easily, demonstrate their talents more comfortably, and be updated on useful information that’s usually not provided by the school. To those who argue that it “can be distracting,” a simple restriction can be set so that students can’t use it at specific time periods to limit their distractions. If you once had a negative perspective on social media, I do hope your opinion has changed about these platforms.
