Skip to main content

Teens and Informal Learning through Social Media


I just finished reading the article Teens and Social Media: A Case Study of High School Students’ Informal Learning Practices and Trajectories by Bagdy, L.M., Dennen, V. P., Rutledge, S. A., Rowlett, J. T., Burnick, S., & Joyce, S. and learned that high school students can participate in informal learning practices through social media. Many parents or adults in general look at teens using their phones and think they're just socializing with their friends or participating in something negative. However, this article informs us that teens can be using social media for career/future planning, entrepreneurship, and hobbies. 

The paper focuses on five high school students who use social media for things such as learning about future universities they may attend, sports they've invested their time in, career paths they're interested in, and hobbies they enjoy. Two students even used social media in an entrepreneurial manner by reselling items or selling items they've created. Many of these students participate in groups on a peripheral trajectory, meaning they do not fully engage in the community but learn by observing the people and groups they follow. "On a peripheral trajectory, they were all able to identify relevant insiders to follow and satisfy their self-directed learning needs" (Bagdy, L.M., Dennen, V. P., Rutledge, S. A., Rowlett, J. T., Burnick, S., & Joyce, S. 2018). 

As these students grow closer to graduation they may shift into an inbound trajectory within their chosen career paths once they become members within their new environment. "By recognizing and valuing these self-directed, positive activities that teenagers engage in, it might become possible to develop a sense of synergy between self-directed learning and school-based learning, with each drawing upon knowledge and skills developed in the other context." (Bagdy, L.M., Dennen, V. P., Rutledge, S. A., Rowlett, J. T., Burnick, S., & Joyce, S. 2018). Instead of thinking about the negatives of social media, schools might be able to find a way to encourage the positive uses presented in this article.





Comments

  1. JFoxxMay 26, 2020 at 11:30 AM

    Leah,

    It is too funny that you wrote this blog post because I just finished a blog post of my own about the same article! I really enjoyed how this article highlighted the more positive aspects of social media use among teenagers and I was honestly surprised and impressed at their informal learning using social media. It led me to reflect on my own social media use and if I have actually done anything productive during this time on quarantine (my blog post). You know, I can't let my own students accomplish more on this lock down than myself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LeahMay 26, 2020 at 12:01 PM

      I really enjoyed reading something positive about teens and their use of social media, too. Often times social media or technology in general is portrayed as a negative thing for kids. Of course it can be, but I liked hearing about the positive aspects it can have. I'll have to go read your blog post and leave you a comment :) .

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Role of Social Media During a Pandemic

In the face of COVID-19, social media has been a great way for people and communities to stay connected even while physically separated. Just imagine if this pandemic happened 15 years ago. Where would we have been with remote working and schooling from home?  Social media plays a big role in keeping people updated on current events about the pandemic. We have realtime information right at our fingertips in the face of a worldwide event. This information can help keep us safe and provide us with a better understanding of what is happening and how it may impact us. Of course, we have to be careful of spreading false information or getting information from places other than trusted sources. Until a month ago, most of us haven't heard of the term "social distancing" but now it is becoming the main term used in posts across multiple social media platforms. It has influenced the way we respond to others and how we have prepared for the pandemic. Another term I have heard is ...
8 comments
Read more

Social Media in the Classroom

I was thinking about a topic on the discussion board this week regarding ethics and using social media in the classroom. I wrote about how I think using social media in the classroom can be problematic, but I started to think about the ways social media can be useful in the classroom. Maybe not for elementary or middle school, but it might work for high schoolers. After all, when you think about the favorite activity of today's students you'll probably come up with the obvious answer: social media.  Students learn plenty of new things everyday but they rarely get precise instructions on how to use social media. Instead, they rely on what they see from other users and this doesn't always lead them in the right direction. However, the teacher can set an example and explain how social media can help them learn and establish a great online reputation. Here are some ways social media can be used in the classroom: 1. Connect the class in a Facebook group. Create a private group a...
3 comments
Read more

Using Twitter for Professional Development

Twitter is a tool that I've never really been interested in nor knew how to use properly. I created an account years ago when it became popular but I saw it as just posting statuses that I could do on Facebook so I didn't really get the point. I tried following hashtags and accounts I thought I'd be interested in, but I became too overwhelmed with my crowded feed.  Learning that we'd be using Twitter for this class seemed like it would be frustrating for me but I decided to give it a go. I created a new Twitter account and did some research about how to use Twitter for professional development. When it comes to creating new professional opportunities, making connections is one of the most important steps to take. Social media is an excellent way to do this and I now understand how Twitter can play a role in professional development. Twitter allows you to connect with like-minded fellow professionals in your field and find solutions to problems. Often times, online conta...
4 comments
Read more