Is it all bad? In praise of social media…

Have you noticed? Every time social media is mentioned in the news lately, it’s for something bad, isn’t it? This publicity then increases people’s fear around its use- and I get it- but we need to remember that the issues that make the news are in the minority, that social media will continue to be a part of our lives… and that burying our heads in the sand won’t solve anything… and that’s what this podcast is all about.

The main issue for me is that it’s not the platform’s fault. It’s like blaming paper for what journalists write, the car for the drunk driver… it’s the conduit for the badness. The badness comes from people who use it. They are the problem.

I do understand the fear, particularly when we look at the younger generation and their use of it moving forward, but deciding to ban something that can be so beneficial isn’t the answer. Or, at least, I don’t think it is.

I do have concerns about the next generation and their use of social media, but perhaps not for the reasons you may think. I worry that there’s not enough education in schools about it and how many parents don’t educate themselves about it so they don’t understand the platforms when the times comes that they need to. In my opinion, schools should be teaching social media (and the associated skills such as photography, videography, caption writing, online networking, safety) because it’s not going away, it can be a hugely valuable tool in supporting a happier life and better prospects, and pretending it’s not ‘a thing’ and will go away is just silly.

Anyway… I recorded a podcast about all of this! I hope you find it useful…