By: Zubair Hamid Parray
This is the age of smart phones and micro blogging. Everything that we need to know is just a click away. Social media is the most widely used tool by all age groups today, particularly by the youth and students. Keeping this in mind researchers feel that social media can play a very important part in the field of education as it can be used to reach out to many students and can be highly effective as well. There is a large number of academic thinkers who feel social media is a deteriorating agent for students but if used wisely it can be highly effective. Instead of getting in the argument of social media being good or bad, we must find ways to use it for our benefit.
Social media platforms are most widely used by teachers, professors and students alike and have become quite popular. For a student, social media plays a very important role as it makes access and sharing of information as well as connecting with teachers easy. It is through this platform that students and teachers can connect with each other and share content thereby avoiding any loss of time given the post covid lockdown and restrictions.
Many professors these days are conducting live video interactions on Skype, Twitter and other platforms making it easy for students as well as teacher to carry on the teaching-learning process while just sitting in their homes. How easy and conveniently the process of education can be continued through the help of social media during the times of lockdown and social distance. Since we have the use of social media at our disposal at any hour of the day, teachers can provide off hours support and solve queries of students even after class timings. This practice also helps the teacher to supervise the progress of their students more closely.
Many educators feel that the use of social media makes the work easier for both them as well as the students besides helping teacher to expand and explore their own possibilities, skills and knowledge. The classes conducted on social media platforms are more disciplined and structured as we know that everyone is watching and it gives ample time to students to nourish their knowledge with a lot of teaching aids available online other than the specific lecture. Students can watch videos, see images, check out reviews and instantly clear their doubts. Not only students, even teacher can make their lectures more interesting by using these tools and teaching aids.
Besides, students can enhance their knowledge by reading blogs, articles and write ups by renowned teachers, professors and thinkers. This way good content can reach to a wider audience and can make education much better and create smart students. All the information, therefore, is just a click away.
Distance is not a barrier anymore because of social media as one can easily communicate with friends and relatives overseas and one can attend a lecture happening in any part of the world. Most importantly, it also provides a great platform for young budding artists to showcase their talent for free. You can get great opportunities for employment through social media.
Despite having such unique advantages, if the usage of social media is not monitored, it can lead to grave consequences. It is harmful because it invades your privacy like never before. The oversharing happening on social media makes children a target for predators and hackers. It also leads to cyber bullying which affects millions.
This addiction hampers with the academic performance of a student when they waste their time on social media features like chatting etc instead of studying. Social media also creates communal rifts, fake news etc which poisons the mind of peace-loving citizens.
In short, surely social media has both advantages and disadvantages. But, it all depends on the user at the end. The youth must particularly create a balance between their academic performances, physical activities, and social media. Excess use of anything is harmful and the same thing is applies to social media. Therefore, we must strive to live a satisfying life with the right balance.
The Author is an undergraduate student at Government Degree College Sumbal Sonawari. Email: zubairahmadparray0051@gmail.com
