Community communications go beyond blogs and social media shares, how does a PLN help and hinder the development of thoughts and ideas in public discourse – especially when addressing our differences?

Harrison’s video covered this question really well: As a black man being raised in a predominantly white society, he felt different and often misunderstood. With that being said, social media (especially his blog early on) really allowed him to connect with other people in a similar scenario to him, often struggling with self-identity. Harrison also explained the various frustrations and treatments he has received because of people assuming he was white, but upon realizing he was black, changing their interview answers, comments, and canceling job interviews. These PLN’s and various social media platforms seemingly have helped Harrison with his personal identity as both a black man and a proud Canadian, while embracing the historical culture he previously knew little about.

 

How can a PLN be curated to minimize bias and expand knowledge of the lives of others?

Personal bias within a PLN is harder to minimize than most people would suggest. It is often subconscious, which makes total elimination near impossible. Although, the best ways to minimize bias are to allow for all opinions to be shared and accepted, allow people of all backgrounds and walks of life to be included, and keep communication positive to avoid conflict. In Meikle’s book Social Media: Communication, Sharing and Visibility, it was suggested that social media completely transformed the thought processes for both those producing and consuming online media. This ties into the anonymity that is all too often present in social media, allowing for personal attacks and fake news to be spread with no repercussions at all.

 

How does the identity of who you are, fit into your PLN?

My identity is certainly present within my PLN, both professional and personal, but in different ways. The main differences in my posts are the places I post (personal is Instagram and Snapchat, professional is LinkedIn), and the content that I post. My personal content contains happy moments within my personal life, such as trips, various nice landscapes, and fun times with my family and friends. In contrast, my professional content more follows companies I support and their announcements, often regarding business decisions.

 

Do you include professional and personal boundaries?

Boundaries are certainly a priority in both personal and professional PLN’s, in very similar ways. In both PLN’s, I have a standard rule to not post anything that I wouldn’t be comfortable having any family members or friends read, to simply avoid future embarrassment or conflict. In my professional PLN, I am a little more careful: I don’t share any political opinions or comment on any current events, I only address various business choices and decisions.

 

References:

Miller J. (2020) EDCI 338 A01 – Harrison Mooney. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKNQpz0RrI&feature=youtu.be

Meikle, G. (2016). Social media communication, sharing and visibility. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.