The Educational Benefits of Social Media

Presently, we see schools incorporating these changes into their systems and relying
on group resources and mechanisms to improve student life. The use of social media in
education assists students, teachers, and parents in obtaining more useful information,
connecting with learning groups, and linking with other school systems that make education
more convenient. Though, the question is: how useful is social online networking to students?
Is there any way that social media in education can benefit students and help to fill learning
gaps if used responsibly?

There is an increasing use of social media, which show the rapid growth of users
throughout the world causing addiction. Day by day, teenagers are getting more addicted to
social media so much that is it considered as a social disease. This addiction may result many
uprising problems on their well-being including serious health issues such as depression and
anxiety. In addition, it affects their academic performances. A survey conducted by Mediakix
revealed that it is estimated 210 million people are now addicted to social media and the
Internet directly or indirectly (Ncbi, 2016; Mediakix, 2018). Nevertheless, social media can
be a very significant medium for many reasons. For research purposes, social media can
provide valuable knowledge such as analytics and insights on a variety of topics or issues. It
is critical for educational institutions to be active on as many social platforms as possible; this
contributes to better student practices and shapes student culture. Social media can broaden
your perspective on a variety of topics by providing illuminating, new content in real time.
You can consult with experts to get answers to any questions you may have. Another
significant benefit of using social media is improved communication. Using Messenger or
WhatsApp, a student can communicate with anyone at any time. They can use their mobile
phone, tablet, or desktop to access such platforms and exchange questions, make phone calls,
or video calls. Social media platforms such as Google Plus groups, YouTube, and Facebook
allow schools to communicate with students. These networks can be used to send out campus
updates, make announcements, and provide students with useful information. This increases
school-student engagement and aids in the resolution of many student issues through group
interactions. Because we live in such a fast-paced world, social media can quickly become the
sole means of communication; parents are frequently too preoccupied with work to attend
school meetings. However, this does not preclude them from keeping up with events or
checking in on their children on occasion. Aside from that, social media offers useful listeners
and subject monitoring tools, and it is one of the most significant advantages for data
extraction. This can help students gather and create useful research content. Social media can
provide some of the best information and results for students who are studying or doing
homework, working on a project, or trying to gain more insight into a subject.

After all, social media isn’t all evil. It does not restrict people’s access to it, but it does
emphasize the important of being more cautious. People form great bonds through social
media, and it makes their lives easier. Social Networking sites are a double-edged sword.
Whether they are good or a bane to the society is for the user to decide. It largely relies on
how it is used. As a result, one could argue that social media platforms that allow free voice
and video calls, as well as the sharing of documents, links, and other types of information, can
be extremely effective in improving students' academic performance. At the same time,
teachers and parents must keep in mind that if a minor uses social media websites, strict
security must be maintained. It makes no sense to exclude social media from the educational
process because it is such an important part of our daily lives. Staff at schools, colleges, and
universities should be encouraged to use technology to communicate with students and
parents. The benefits are obvious, beginning with improved parent-teacher relationships and
progressing to significantly altering our children's learning.

Charmaine Faye Pelone

Roane Vasquez
12- HUMSS B