Social Media & Students

This week I chose to focus on articles regarding social media skills that millennials lack. I found the skills mentioned in the article "5 Social Media Skills Millennials Lack" are rather important skills for those entering the workforce today. The article states "they're very good at connecting with people they already know, they often fail to understand the professional opportunities and pitfalls posed by networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, and Instagram." Being a millennial myself (just barley though), I completely agree with the statement. I typically only use social media to connect with my friends and family. Taking EDU 776 and this course has given me the opportunity to explore professional networks on social media and I have found more value in my social media accounts.

I found it interesting that the article mentioned "because somebody grows up being a social media native, it doesn't make them an expert using social media." However, these social natives' "social media expectations are often higher for millennials" in the workplace. It is important for companies to realize that if you want effective social media marketing and campaigns, employees need proper training, you can't just learn it on your own.

Social media can be used by those entering the workforce to broaden their networks, make connections, and hopefully find a fulfilling career. A feature mentioned in the article, InMail, was one I had not heard of before. It sounds like a very effective way to reach employers and people who may have felt out of reach before.

Piggybacking on this article is another article, Social Media and Literacy. Social Media and Literacy explores the reasons for the lack of curriculum surrounding social media literacies. If these skills are so important for 21st century workers, why don't we teach them in school?

I agree with a few of the barriers mentioned, especially the idea that "teachers feel they can't keep up." Many teachers are technology immigrants and realize their student are farther advanced in technology use. As a teacher, I want to ensure that the tasks I ask my students to complete are meaningful and engaging, adding a social media component may not keep the task meaningful and engaging.  If schools choose to incorporate teaching social media literacies, I believe it needs to be intentional. Too often we are quickly addressing topics that we think students already know. It's time to stop and teach students social media literacies as we know they are not properly prepared when they reach the workforce.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-social-media-skills-millennials-lack-gianfranco-capozzi