A study has found that 82% of young adults use Facebook, 55% of this crowd use Instagram and only 32% use Twitter. Social media has changed the world tremendously. Social media is targeted for millennials (people born from the late 1980s to the early 2000s). A large number of millennials are currently students, students who use social media actively and periodically. Most people argue that social media is harmful and a distraction, but there are some relevant advantages.
Many students acquire higher communication skills through social media. It increases their collaboration and teamwork with other students. A lot of study groups and class groups are made virtually through WhatsApp which is beneficial to a students’ learning experience.
There are many options and choices to stay connected with your fellow students if in need for help or questions about a certain lesson.
Another benefit is that social media will improve students’ educational life in the ability to find reliable and rich content resources. Back in the day, before the Internet was invented, students of that age used to go the library to borrow books in order to do research. Now, all the information is at your fingertips. Finding answers to questions that you are struggling with, at just a tap of the “enter” key, you will find multiple answers to your question. There are even various learning platforms that are available to aid them in tough times. YouTube is a type of social media platform that hasn’t been given enough credit for its use for education. For example: a lot of teachers in Al Mawakeb School show quite a lot of videos from YouTube to explain the lesson in a visual, coherent and clear way. This indeed helps students understand and process the lesson even better.
One more way students can value social media in school life is because it causes them to be more innovative and creative. Social media is based on sharing your own content. You can create accounts, websites, and applications which allows students to become highly ingenious. Sharing and creating their own unique content helps students think outside the box. This will help students become more analytical and think innovatively. Also, being inspired by other people’s work and creation online will help them achieve having their own exclusive ideas!
Social media has a lot of great, positive effects such as acquiring higher communication skills, finding fertile content resources and being creative!
Social media can be frowned down upon by the older generations but it does have its great effects on students’ everyday life at school. It makes students’ lives effortless and easy when dealing with education.