WHAT WE THINK
How did social media change education?
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To start off, we need to define what social media are. Social media can be defined as forms of media that allow people to communicate and share information using the Internet; electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content (such as videos).
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Now, to have a clear answer to our question, we can start with a brief history of the development of technology and its purposes. The invention of first computers, in the 1940’s, was the time when engineers and scientists started to develop ways to create networks. The earliest form of the Internet appeared in the 1960’s, and it was also in this period when the first primitive forms of e-mail were developed. Then, in the 1970’s, networking technology improved. Users were able to communicate through a virtual newsletter. Moving to the 1980’s, with some continuous development, home computers became more common and social media more sophisticated. By the 1990’s, people were offered the possibility of having a profile and make “friends”. This was attainable with the creation of “Six Degrees”, a social media site. Today, obviously the peak of the evolution of social media, there’s a tremendous variety of social networking sites. A big number of people have access to social media. They are used not only for entertainment purposes, but also for educational purposes.
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Nowadays social media are also a support for education. But, it was not always like that. When it comes to social media, there are different sides, who adopt different positions. There is a common agreement that they’re useful in sharing information. And there is the other side: the one which contributes to the students’ lack of attention during classes, for example. Technology, especially social media contributed to a massive change in education. With the inclusion of social media in education, students are now able to share their information and ideas and discuss them. And not just with people from their class or school, they can reach students and teachers from anywhere in the world. This creates a partnership feeling among people and gives them a wide knowledge about different topics.
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Altogether, despite some downsides of social media, it can’t be denied the visible positive changes that were made. Some education systems are yet to be improved, and relying on social media and media education, can be an important step. There needs to be an adaptation to our changing world.
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by Mariana Moreira
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Retrieved November 2019, from:
Did Social Media Create New Jobs?
Social media are around for some time now, they began to be used for communication purposes and evolved to become an educational support. Eventually, social media started to conquer their place in workplaces and that led to new jobs.
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Let’s take for example marketing. Before the use of social media, marketing managers would run advertisement campaigns in magazines, newspaper and television commercials. With the integration of social media in marketing, brands use social media platforms to connect with their audiences, increase sales and drive website traffic. This includes producing content, listening and engaging with their followers, analyzing the results and running social media advertisements. Of course, to have all this running, companies need more staff.
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Concerning customer service representation, this job appeared with the need of responding to questions and doubts from customers, online. But its purpose is not only to clarify. Employers also suggest information about other products and services, by collecting customer information and analyzing needs, processing orders, preparing mail and fulfilling needs to ensure satisfaction.
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Another job that came with social media was that of the “Uber driver”. Although 10 years ago we had drivers, we definitely couldn’t see their location, pay electronically and give them a rating. Uber has created thousands of job opportunities for people all around the globe, and created even more with the invention of “Uber Eats”. Whilst Uber is an American business, people from more than 400 cities in 70 countries can become Uber drivers.
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I decided to leave for last a really recent job. I’m referring to YouTubers. Since the first video was uploaded, YouTube has become one of the most powerful social media. From beauty bloggers speaking about make-up products, short films to vlogs, creating content for YouTube is now considered a full-time job, and the most popular creators can earn millions of dollars, not just with videos, but also by advertising and promoting sponsorship deals. YouTube popularity has escalated so much that some people, mostly teenagers, are switching television for YouTube videos.
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Social media have a deep impact in the business world. Companies that use social media, as a tool, can achieve great results. The digital age has created a large amount of non-traditional jobs. Some of them can be seen as more essential than others. All in all, with this continuous development, new jobs were created, even though they probably came to fill the place of others.
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by Mariana Moreira
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Retrieved November 2019, from:
