How does social media engage communications?

Social media can engage communications in many different ways. Each application tends to have its own form of ways to communicate and many centre around direct messaging. For example with Instagram, individuals can share posts or message one another through direct message with the account. In the same way that on Facebook, individuals can share posts and message each other through using the messenger application. Snapchat on the other hand focuses on communicating via pictures. All applications allow individual’s to like, share, and comment on posts dependent on the user’s privacy settings.

How does social media challenge communications?

Social media can challenge communication because in some ways it uses unfiltered interactions. Sometimes, people may feel that they can say anything they want without facing repercussions. It is also harder to be able to tell emotion and social cues through social media, which can have negative impacts on communication. While it is nice to be able to connect with individuals around the world through social media, it can also contribute to social isolation as individual’s are not interacting face to face.

Is it inclusive?

Social media platforms often promote inclusivity and diversity, and a part of creating content on social media includes finding ways to make that content accessible and diverse. It is inclusive in the sense that it also helps individuals stay up to date on what is going on around the world or stay in touch with individuals around the world. However, there can also be a lot of misinformation being posted which is why it is important to focus on media literacy. While individuals may feel that they are able to share whatever they want about their own lives, perspectives and opinions, making it inclusive, there may always be people posting negative things in return, making it isolating at times.

The policies of employer social media communication expectations.

Social media policies for employers typically promote the separation of personal and professional use, as well as media literacy. It is also always beneficial to engage in respectful communication be wary of the information that is being posted. It is important for individuals to learn these skills at a younger age, because sometimes individuals do not consider what they are posting to be a big deal, which can later cause issues when searching for work, dependent on the companies policies and background information checks.

How to better use social media to build PLN…

In using social media to build a PLN it is important to focus on interaction, informative and accessible content, as well as making it easy to understand. People often choose to get information from social media rather than reading long articles because they prefer the efficiency of it, so it is beneficial to find ways that can promote your message without using a significant amount of words. It is also important to focus on strong communication skills and interacting with others to be able to build up a following to further promote yourself.