Parents and teachers are scared of social media, in part because students sometimes use it in mindless and daunting ways, but also because many parents and teachers don’t understand its possible benefits. No one is teaching this generation of students how to use social media productively to nurture intellectual passions and develop marketable skills. Students are not following accounts that provide information and inspiration. Instead, they take photos of their lunch, try to acquire more “likes” than their friends, and try to embarrass one another with less than flattering photographs.
Educators need to begin to help students build their own responsible digital-profiles and use social media for academic enrichment. What crosses students’ desks, or appears in their feeds, should be substantive and based on their interests. The best way to create a culture of curiosity, exploration and sharing is to teach students how to manage content and conversations online. Students who are interested in business, for example, should be guided to the Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Financial Times or The Economist. Students who are interested in psychology should be guided to Psychology Today, Pyschobest and Psych Central. Unfortunately, there’s little time for this guidance in our crowded curriculum and, on their own, students can’t be bothered to seek out educational content in place of their social updates. Yet, this content, ideally grounded in their curiosity, could form the basis of a lifelong intellectual passion or even a possible career.
Educational institutions equip their graduates with the research skills, organizational skills, analytical skills and verbal/writing skills to succeed in the workforce. This has been true for decades. But, thanks in large part to technology, the professional landscape has changed so much that it’s hard for students to figure out in which industry, or for which cause, they would like to employ their acquired skills. As it is, most universities do not invite academic specialization until students are in their final two years. The best way to help students with these issues is through social media.
Social media provides a forum through which students can learn about and engage with industries and professionals that represent a wide-range of intellectual opportunities. The forum invites dialogue and content updates in real-time. We need to teach students what to read and watch in order to develop expertise in a given field. And, we need to teach them how to post, like, comment, inquire, reply, and connect in ways that benefit students and their chosen industries. As educators, we know that the best learning is a product of guidance, encouragement, and debate. If there’s a student who is interested in technology, I want to help him read, analyze, and debate content from Mashable, Gizmodo, CNET, WSJD, and Wired, to name a few. Or if a student wants to save the planet, I’d like to point him toward Greenpeace, Climate Desk, and Green Living.
Upon graduating from college in 2009, my friends and I were asked by executives to use the academic skills acquired in college to curate and deliver information that could help organizations advance their brand, cause or idea. Frequently, we were also asked to combine these skills with our knowledge of social media in order to reach new audiences. Independently, we realized that our ability to flourish in our young careers depended upon our connection with industry leaders, consumption of up-to-date content, and creation of digital profiles, whether for a company or as individuals. Far more effective than a paper resume, strong digital-profiles are the best way for young professionals to progress in a given field, and even move between fields.
None of our professors ever advised us to explore social media, nor did they talk about the changing economy that we would inherit as young professionals. Today, economists keep referencing the “startup economy” but schools aren’t teaching students how to navigate this landscape. Educators should guide students not only in their consumption of information, but to internships and other experiential opportunities to build a resume in a given industry. Ideally, social science teachers should encourage their students to follow Re/code, Techstars, or Kickstarter so that they can feel empowered to start their own business.
Ironically, if schools taught a class on social media, and that was the only class a student took, some could still find employment monitoring feeds, creating snapchats, producing vines, or curating Pinterest for a business. Businesses will pay for these services. Young graduates, who have learned to harness the power of social media, update pages, curate a digital footprint and forge connections to make themselves knowledgeable in their content area and valuable to their employers.
Fulfillment comes from exploring a wide variety of interests and developing our understanding of them all. It’s time to help our students pursue interests outside of their core academic courses. It’s time to help them to customize their own learning, and engage in professional dialogue in an appropriate manner. With our guidance, students will feel prepared and confident navigating the professional landscape they inherit. Social media has disrupted society; the learning environment is changing, the professional environment is changing, and schools should be changing with them. If we want our students to be curious, informed and competitive, we need to acknowledge, appreciate, and, finally, teach social media
A version of this post was published by NAIS
