What does it mean to network using social media?

Online networking is to maintain and expand personal and professional relationships while utilizing a social media presence. This allows professionals to stay current with colleagues’ that may live or work in other countries who are unable to communicate traditionally due to time zone differences etc. However, the majority of social media networking is for personal use, keeping tabs on family and friends that may live around the corner or around the world alike.

 

How do people learn and engage using mediated platforms?

Simply put, mediated platforms make online learning simpler through apps such as Microsoft teams and zoom, where personal connections can be formed, and questions can be answered in real-time. With this being said, asynchronous classes are also more prevalent with the COVID-19 outbreak, allowing for the flexibility that has never before been given on such a widespread scale. it is now much easier for students to go to school in Canada while working full time on the other side of the world, as I’m sure many students in this class are doing this semester.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

There is an entire culture shift enveloping pop culture and technology for young people nowadays. This shift is almost a rite of passage for young people when creating their first social media account, so I would argue that it is almost necessary to do so to fit into the new cultural ‘norm’. As the influence of social media has increased, so too have the traction of movements that were once exclusive to these platforms, such as #MeToo, which has swept the globe and raised incredible amounts of awareness towards terrible things that powerful people do that would’ve otherwise been completely suppressed. A main key in helping these scenarios gain traction is the anonymity afforded to those that speak out online. It is now possible to do so without revealing even a shred of your identity to the average

 

What are the risks and rewards of public communications?

Public communications can allow networking and communication between countries and time zones through social media that were previously nigh on impossible. Online entertainment such as streaming sports, concerts, and video games can also play a huge part in keeping physically isolated people connected to the rest of the modern world.

In contrast, public communications have also opened up new forms of unwanted contact, such as fake news and cyberbullying, which are both running rampant and are much harder to stop than their traditional counterparts due to anonymity.