Five Ways to Use Social Media for Learning

What if you could replace poor habits of being distracted by social media with good habits of learning through social media? Here are five ways that social media can contribute to your learning and intellectual growth.

Blogging

Blogging can improve your writing skills while organizing your thoughts in an informal manner. It provides you with the opportunity to be introspective, analytical, and creatively expressive. You can use a personal blog to explore a topic of interest—fiction novels, for example—or to practice a skill you have a desire to improve, such as photography. The added satisfaction of having your work instantly “published” to a real audience helps motivate you to do your best work. Moreover, you can connect with bloggers of similar interests, following those who write about topics in an area of study about which you are passionate. Many popular media sites have blogs as well, meaning you can enjoy high-quality, informative content every day of the week.

Collaborative calendars and documents

Collaborative websites like Google Drive are great for bringing students together for learning purposes. A teacher can use a collaborative calendar, for example, to share assignments, upcoming deadlines, and project dates with students who can’t meet in person, and groups of students can collaborate on the same document, spreadsheet, presentation, or form while simultaneously communicating via chat or video.

Podcasts

A podcast is simply a recording of a person or group of people discussing a topic of interest. Many podcasts are dedicated to sharing “uncommonly known facts” or bringing awareness to major topics and phenomena, and with the wide variety available today, there are sure to be several of interest to you. Consider replacing some of your everyday music listening with podcast listening for a stronger mind.

Video

While sites like YouTube are rife with humor and entertainment, they are full of educational content as well. Many colleges and universities offer free courses, Khan Academy provides hundreds of tutoring videos for free, and sites like TED grant you the opportunity to explore new ideas and ways of thinking in virtually any academic field.

Traditional social media platforms

Even the most popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be utilized to promote stronger learning rather than procrastination and time wasting. Consider following popular news and media outlets on your favorite social media platforms, or even your favorite authors. Research fields of study that interest you and become familiar with thought leaders in these fields; then follow and interact with these leading thinkers so that you can stay up-to-date in these fields.