I've seen a number of comments relating to this. Of people saying that social media should be taught in schools. I'd always assumed it to be a passing remark to buttress how people abuse the social media space, as usually, it was always when someone did/said something uncivil that the remark is made.
Never knew it could be a real thing to be considered until this topic came along. From reading a few entries, I gather that some people think it's just about teaching students how to find their ways around the platforms. But that isn't so. It can't even be because these days young ones, even kids, seem to be more savvy than older ones. I mean, many of us found our ways around the internet while we were yet kids without any forms of guidance.
So, maybe yes, social media should be taught in schools. Social media is an integral part of the digital world, and students need to understand how to use it responsibly and effectively.
Social media has metamorphosed overtime, from being a platform to just chatting and connecting with people to being a prominent world on its own and a place for a lot to thrive...or fail.
There are very many positives to the media, but the negatives, which are a lot, too, can be very damaging. Students need to learn this.
Social media can also expose students to potential dangers such as cyberbullying, online predators, and
nisinformation, so it is important to educate them on how to protect themselves online. By teaching social media in school, students can, in addition to learning digital literacy skills, develop the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the digital world effectively and safely.
They need to first learn how to properly use the tool and how to form basic social interactions. While at risk, it's imperative that they learn boundaries and respect. They need to learn that social media can be toxic and put undue pressure on them, so it's important that they are taught how best to handle this pressure and to safeguard their mental health.
And also important in this times we're in, students should be taught about privacy and how to censor their post. They should be taught how essential it is to keep private information private and the risks involved in over-sharing because the internet never forgets.
They should be taught to think for themselves and not swallow every information out there.
In all, they need to learn how to balance online and offline presence in a manner that is healthy for them and their development.
Important too, they could be taught how vast a place social media is and how away from the craze and bad side, there is a developmental, thriving aspect of the platforms that borders around creativity, activism, collaboration, building portfolio, community networking, tech and ethics and that they should be intentionalenough to strive to put themselves out there. Sure, social media as a course is one that would be beneficial to younger ones and the sanity of our online spaces.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!