What does it mean to network using social media?

Networking on social media has become one of the main means of communication in 2020. First of all, social media allows you to be instantaneously up to date on major news events around the world. Rather than having to wait for the evening news daily, you can look at the major events as they are happening in real time. Secondly, it allows you to have a vast network of human resources that you can connect with from anywhere in the world. I have found this has kept me closer with my friends and family who live back in my hometown by keeping me up to date with their daily activities. It has also helped me engage with classmates throughout my degree which has translated into a higher academic performance. Professional communication in the business world has grown significantly with the recent rise of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a platform for individuals to showcase their personal accolades, skills and previous work experience. It essentially acts as an online resume for individuals. LinkedIn also acts as a communication platform for business to interact with other businesses, potential employees, current employees, consumers etc.

How do people learn & engage using mediated platforms?

There is an incredible amount of information passed around on social media which provides countless opportunities for learning. Whether it be short videos on Tik Tok showing you how to perform cool dance moves or a video showing you a stock market trading tip, the opportunities are endless. You can follow the best professional photographers, business professionals, celebrities and numerous others, who all post informational and entertainment content all the time.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

Since social media has become a major part of everyday life for the majority of the population, I believe that individuals and businesses would be setting themselves back greatly by not being involved with all of these platforms of engagement. The speed at which communication activities can be done through social platforms is insurmountable compared to the old ways of communication (email, fax, etc.). Business to business, business to employee and business to consumer interactions are all streamlined which creates more efficient and effective commerce.

What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

With all of the rewards that come out of social media, there also come a few risks that you have to be aware of. Privacy is a huge issue when it comes to the use of social media. The more information you put up about yourself online, the more information someone is going to have if the find a way to illegally access your social media accounts. I was on the receiving end of an unfortunate hacking situation which saw me lose my personal Instagram account I had been building for 8 years. This was very devasting for me as I had to change passwords for over 20 other accounts to make sure this person couldn’t get access to anything else I was using. It was also devastating because it takes a significant amount of time to build a loyal following and losing something of that nature in the business world is quite a loss.