A Nielsen study released today confirmed what many of us have been experiencing or thinking. Social media is the undisputed king of web content. Time spent by Americans on the web is dedicated to social media at a rate almost three times that spent on e-mail.
What are the implications for our school system and education in general? Primarily, we are seeing the development of a generation of students for whom engagement in social media activity is the norm. This is how many will gather, assess, process, and share information. I don’t think this is inherently bad or good. It just is. However, it’s implications are negative if we do not ensure we are finding ways to evolve with this trend.
This trend applies for not just our students, but for the faculty of our schools and the families of the community. It is a misconception that social media sites are the exclusive domain of our adolescents. The largest segment of Facebook users are people 18-44 years of age.
This is why I have been an advocate and have delivered progress on the district’s use of social media. We overhauled our web site and established a presence on both Facebook and Twitter. We need to strive for ways to make these channels worthwhile for our families to check in on. There is an art to this. Content alone is not king, but rather relevant content. Some of our teachers and principals have also been leaders in the area. Tim Bearden’s blog on Grosse Pointe North’s web site is particularly impressive.
Personally I have embraced social media as a member of the Board of Education to enhance my accessibility and personal transparency. My campaign site, my Views on Schools blog site, my Twitter and Facebook accounts are all examples. I have received incredibly positive feedback for taking these measures, but I participate in them mainly because I genuinely enjoy doing so.
Brendan