For this post we were asked to consider social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, etc., and explore the role it has played in our education, whether or not we will use it professionally, and what cautions should be observed. I would consider myself a moderate user of social media. I have a Facebook account and have been known to get lost for hours in Pinterest. I do have a YouTube account that I occasionally (once or twice a year) load videos to share with family that live on the other side of the country. Now, of course, I have this blog, and I follow a few others on various topics of interest.
What I love about social media is how easy it is to connect and share with others in real time, and what I dislike about social media is how easy it is to connect and share with others in real time! Let me explain. It's wonderful to be able to connect with friends from high school that I have not seen in years, and let's be honest, probably never will see again. I have moved around a LOT and worked in many different places, and social media is a quick, easy way to keep in touch. Sit and write a letter? Ain't nobody got time for that! Well, wait. With the time spent on social media, many of us probably could write a bunch of letters! Sending a tweet or updating your Facebook status is so easy, right?! Hmmm......a little too easy. I think people can become reliant on social media to validate their feelings, self-worth, and get too involved in the drama of others. It is a delicate see-saw act to try to find the perfect balance with social media. I certainly don't want to share too much, but I don't want to be deceptive or disingenuous either.
Social media has actually played a large role in my education also. My graduate studies have been through a distance education program at Western Kentucky University while I currently live in New Mexico. Students in my cohort live all over the country. One was even residing in Morocco when she started the program! One wonderful student started a Facebook group just for our cohort, and this has proved to be invaluable. It is a place where we can share ideas, clarify assignments, get support and encouragement, and vent our frustrations. We all had to meet in Kentucky last summer for an intense 6 week clinical internship, and we all felt like we somewhat knew one another already. It made the experience so much richer, warmer, and more comfortable. Our department has a Facebook page, too, and members share a lot of good information on the program and the profession. YouTube was also a valuable instrument during my education. Not only did I find oodles of videos that demonstrated various techniques or instruments that aided in my understanding, but it also served as an easy way to share my own clinical video assignments with instructors. Pinterest has also played a big part in my education since I can quickly and easily organize therapy ideas and information in one electronic source. I really really despise paper clutter, so I think Pinterest is the greatest idea EVER! If you have a great board on therapy ideas, crafts, or recipes, comment below with a link! I would love to follow you!!
Will I incorporate social media into my life as a professional? I can answer with a confident "yes". I am looking forward to keeping in touch with my cohorts and keeping up with their successes and accomplishments. I also feel that we have created a great support network with one another and will be available to bounce ideas back and forth and provide helpful information. I like several Facebook pages that other SLPs, vendors, and manufacturers have created, and these pages keep me up to date on new merchandise, sales, and great new therapy ideas. Pinterest is a no-brainer with its seemingly infinite number of ideas. As long as it is around, I will be pinning. YouTube will continue to be a resource for me as well. A lot of product manufacturers and vendors post video demonstrations, which makes it easy and convenient to see how an item can be used and if it will be beneficial to your practice. This beats having to wait to attend a conference or wait on snail mail for a packet of information. It is also a great resource for finding examples of therapy techniques. Just last night I was searching for examples of melodic intonation therapy, so I could try it with a current patient of mine. Really, the world is a much smaller place thanks to social media. Humans are more connected to one another now than ever, even if it is in a superficial manner. We have created a vast and intricate maze of connectivity.
All of that said, we still have to tread carefully through the maze. As my mama always said, "Don't believe everything you read and only half of what you see." What a wise woman! That proverb couldn't be more true in today's world. Deception exists, and we must remain vigilant about not falling prey to misinformation. We still must apply evidence-based practice when reading or seeing something on social media. Just because it's on Facebook or Twitter does not mean that it is necessarily true. We must always consider the source, and check, double check, and triple check what are presented as facts. Thanks to free and sophisticated editing software, pictures and videos are easily manipulated in very convincing and deceptive ways, and people can post anything they want with any credentials they chose. No only do we, as professionals, need to take care and use precautions, but we need to educate our clients on the potential dangers of accepting information on social media as gospel.
I look forward to staying connected and expanding my network and will continue to use social media personally and professionally. I can get ideas and connect with other professionals from Kenya to Kentucky and everywhere in between. When used responsibly, social media is a valuable resource that can keep us informed, inspired, and involved. It really is a small world after all!
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