With all the stories on the news about exploitation, cyber-bullying, gossip, and “sexting”, it is easy to dismiss social media as a danger and something that puts students in harms way. However, there is an argument to be made that social media, like many other things, gets more publicity for its failures than its successes. Here are just a few benefits of social media for students, as proposed by O’Keefe and Clarke-Pearson (2011):
1. Community engagement through participation in groups, raising money for charity or volunteering;
2. Enhancing individual creativity through development and sharing of artistic ventures;
3. Growth of ideas from the creation of blogs, podcasts, videos, and gaming
4. Expansion of online connection through shared interests and exposure to diverse ideas—fostering respect, tolerance, and increased discourse.
5. Fostering of one’s individual identity and unique social skills (p.803).
6. Increased access to health information and ideas for healthy lifestyle choices
Each of the above benefits are something widely accessible to students, adults and parents alike, but the emergence of social media as a tool for access has, perhaps, provided a new pathway for young people to access information from a diverse set of resources. This alternative pathway for access may in some cases make the student more receptive to the information being provided.
