Reflect on your experience in the course, your development of PLN, your use of social media platforms and networked publics, share any changes in your perspective of social media in professional settings and personal use.

Before this course, I never really used social media platforms for professional use, and even though I had a LinkedIn account, I never used it. Since learning about the importance of professional PLN’s, I’ve rejuvenated my LinkedIn PLN and that has led me to multiple job offers for the spring semester, one of which I may accept.  Since starting the weekly blog posts and watching the corresponding guest interviews and lectures, I have realized that a common theme throughout the course is that personal connections and relationship-forming is a necessity for success in a given field, whether personal or professional. By forming these relationships and using them to further my PLN’s growth and success, I am allowing myself countless opportunities that I would have never had if not for my PLN’s diverse connections. This week’s reading also ties into this, stating that “connections are vital to one’s success” (Qualman, 2012). I will be forever grateful to this class for the opportunities that have risen (either directly or indirectly), allowing me success beyond my expectations while being a university student.

EDCI 338 has drastically changed my perspective regarding my personal use of social media as well, not necessarily with the way I use it, but the way that social media platforms actually use my information. Since the start of the class, I have changed settings regarding the amount and kind of information websites and social media platforms are allowed to take from my computer and phone. Whether this actually makes a difference or not, I don’t know, but I like to think that it does. My trust in social media platforms and ecommerce websites has also greatly decreased since taking EDCI 338, as my eyes have been opened to what cookies and fingerprinting actually mean with regard to my information. All in all, I do still believe that social media offers more positives than negatives, allowing people to connect with family and friends living across the world, offering more varied job opportunities, and offering borderline endless entertainment.

 

References:

Qualman, E., & Books24x7, I. (2012). Digital leader: 5 simple keys to success and influence (1st ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.