How does social media engage communications? How does social media challenge communications?

Social media engages communications by allowing people to connect with each other on a global scale. It allows us to quickly share content and engage in conversations with various people, no matter where they are in the world. Social media entered our mainstream through challenging our dominant forms of online communication, like message boards and email. In this way social media is a driver of communication, and it’s rapidly evolving nature is bound to continue to challenge communication in decades to come.

Is it inclusive?

I think social media is inclusive because social media is made up of virtually unlimited sub-communities where individuals of all different backgrounds can find community. Social media users can also be anonymously, giving them freedom to express themselves and whoever they are. Further, social media sites are embracing new technologies, such as captions, subtitles, and others that allow people that are deaf or visually-impaired to use social media the same as able-bodied.

Does your PLN amplify the views of others?

My PLN amplifies the views of others, as I interact with people that are like-minded on a day-to-day basis, and thus am more likely to agree and amplify the views of others to other audiences. The same goes for social media, where I’m most likely to engage with and amplify content that I agree with – through sharing it to my own network. The algorithms used by social media platforms accentuate this further by showing you content you are more likely to enjoy or agree with. In this sense, my PLN amplifies the views of those who share the same views or interests as me.

The policies of employer social media communication expectations.

Employers might have different expectations on how their want their employees to communicate and represent themselves on social media. Usually, these expectations are applied to ensure that employees are protecting the privacy and security of the workplace. For example, a workplace social media policy could inform employees to refrain from sharing or posting content such as consumption of drugs and/or alcohol, as well as engaging or posting sensitive and/or discriminatory content on social media. Having these policies in place is crucial because it creates transparency between the employer and the employee such that employees will be aware to not post or share anything that will have negative repercussions for the company.

How to better use social media to build PLN? Influencers & Commentators.

Influencers and commentators can better use social media to build their PLN by interacting and networking with similar users across multiple online platforms and across varying levels of expertise. By doing so, these influencers and commentators are able to gain a wide variety of knowledge from a broad range of individuals, which allows them to gain ideas on how to strategically grow their own PLN. In addition, by interacting with these other users, they are able to share ideas and help each other grow or build on a social media presence. For example, a good way to build the PLN of an influencer or a commentator would be to consistently post, engage, and comment on multiple online platforms. From there, they have already established an online presence, and can assess which platform works best for them in terms of user engagement. In addition, influencers and commentators can participate and connect in a face-to-face manner by joining communities, events, and panels related to what they are interested in. By putting themselves out there online and in person, they are able to gain insight on their interests and how other people have been successful in this field, and learn how they can uniquely contribute to the related online and in-person community.

What are the benefits of a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing that understands where you are coming from with messaging that impacts the community?

The benefits of a diverse PLN are to gain a different perspective on things and see many different sides that you may have previously thought to be one-sided, two-dimensional, or static. Diverse social media interactions can help you learn how other people view certain things, which can help in learning concepts in a way never previously understood. The perspectives I learn from a diverse social media network impacts the community, as I’m likely to take those perspectives in my daily interactions with those in my community. These perspectives may even be present in unconscious biases, formed through my social media interactions that are influencing my behavior in ways I’m not aware of. This is particularly important when engaging with diverse communities, in which it’s important to consider their different lived experiences or views on certain issues.