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Impact of Social Media on Students

In today’s technological environment, it is important that teachers try their best to make use

of this innovative technology. This technology can be used to facilitate communication

between the students and the teachers. However, this new form of communication can also

help parents in getting involved in the learning of their children. One way of enhancing this

communication is through the use of social media. There are a number of social networking

sites that can be used. Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo, LinkedIn, Twiducate, Classroom 2.0 and

Google+ are just few of the existent social media that one can make use of in education.

Advantages of Social Media for Students

 Develop communication skills – students can gain social confidence from online

interaction, which may help them feel more secure in new situations

 Increase skill in technology – students become more familiar with new and emerging

technologies, as well as increase their media literacy through exposure to many

different types of online media

 Since many students already use these forms of technology, they may be more

engaged in learning if they utilize it

 Online communities can be very diverse and expose students to many new

viewpoints, ideas, and opinions

  Social media can also be a source to increase talent to work on group projects

 Students can develop an optimistic image of themselves by putting best qualities out

there

 Enhanced Collaboration – acquiring information can be accomplished by students

alone. But problem-solving skills are often better enhanced in a collaborative

environment. Social media allow students to work together on projects beyond an

individual’s capability

Challenges and Problems

 Cyberbullying: By using technology like mobiles or the internet, this type of bullying

can affect someone not just at school, but at home as well. Because it takes place in

the virtual world, it has a 24/7 nature and can make someone feel upset or threatened

in their own home. Students should be educated that this kind of bullying can be

evidenced. With cyber bullying they can save text/emails/WebPages, print them and

used as a proof to catch the bully.

 Sexting: Someone taking an indecent image of themselves, and sending it to their

friends or boy/girlfriend via a mobile phone or some other form of technology is

sometimes referred to as ‘sexting’. Once these images have been taken and sent to

others, control is lost of them and they can end up anywhere.  They could be seen by

friends and family, a future employer, or even, in some cases, end up in the

possession an offender! This also puts that person who originally sent the images in a

“vulnerable position” :, as somebody they may or may not know now has these

images and could use technology to bully, harass or even try to locate them as seen in
 the videos. Students have to be educated to think “Do I want my schoolmates to see

these photos, my family?”

 Hacking: Students should always choose the “Log Out” option so their account cannot

be hacked.

 False Identity: People aren’t always honest with who they are, their age or what they

look like. Students have to be share of whom they are confirming as a friend. It is

very easy to lie on the Internet and there is no way of knowing if someone is telling

the truth. Even if someone shows them a photo of themselves, this could be a picture

of someone else or could be faked. This applies to webcam or video footage too;

seeing a person in a video, does not mean it is them. Students have to be educated not

to meet people they encountered over the Internet.

Conclusion

It is clearly seen that social media and education don’t necessarily go hand in hand. So far

experts remind us that there are clear “do’s and don’ts” for integrating social media in the

classroom. Social technologies are here to stay and it is import to help students learn how to

used social media. Guide students in how to think deliberately about their use and consider

the outcomes of proper and improper use of social media. This goal can be appropriately

reached when teacher have received appropriate training on the use of social media. Full

backing and support of the school administration is mandatory to fulfill this objective.

Turning social media into an educational tool can be used to further a student’s education and

enrich it.