In this generation, social media is widely used by people, especially by the millennials. It is a channel use d by people to express themselves, to document their lives, share themselves and their thoughts to others and to be able to communicate with them even with the great distance. There are so many uses to it especially for someone like me.
Social media has become almost vital to any person nowadays. Personally, I use it to keep in touch with my family and friends. I get to share what happens to me through my social media accounts and in turn, I also get to know what is up with them nowadays. I also get to catch up with them and talk through messaging apps. That way, I don’t lose any connection to them and let them know that I care even when there is so much distance, physically.
Another advantage that social media gives me is I can share my talents through it. I love writing stories and through blogging apps, I am able to share my stories to other people who have the same interests as me and aside from the fact that I can share it to them, I can also learn from their comments and also feel good from those comments and the likes that I get.
The great thing about social media also is a person can create his own identity and the control on the image he wants to show to people. This allows you to manage and control how people perceive and therefore engage with you. This gives you control over the kind of interaction you choose to have in social media.
As professionals, we can use this as a way to connect with like- minded learning professionals to share news, ideas, resources and advice. It also is a collaboration tool were one can teach and also learn from passionate educators about their expertise. Through social media, one can go through a list of blogs that offer professional development purposes and subscribe on them.
One can also develop professionally by joining groups and subscribe to pages in portals like Facebook that will help you grow professionally. You can communicate with experts, directly contact them, get new ideas or ask questions.
As a constant user of these platforms, there are things that one should keep in mind when using the social media. Here are my personal commitment statements as a responsible user of social media:
- Keep things authentic– I should be myself and be friendly in social media to avoid unnecessary drama.
- Be mindful of what you post– It might be funny today but it may affect me negatively in the future.
- Be mindful of emotions– Once the sent button is hit, there is no turning back. I should be careful not to make a message that may sound offensive or inappropriate. I should take my time to think over things and keep my feelings in check before posting something I might regret.
- Don’t be too glued to your cellphone– There is a world beyond your smartphone, even though how great it may be. Personal connections must still be maintained.
- Learn to let it go– When someone is being disrespectful, I will take the higher road and let it go. It does not pay to feed the trolls.
References:
https://adminbandit.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/using-social-media-for-personal-development/
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-use-social-media-professional-development
http://www.simplek12.com/social-media/5-ways-to-use-social-media-for-professional-development
PENNY_EL 