Sociology: How might social media both enhance and disrupt relationships inside and outside the classroom?
This case study focuses on current thoughts on social media, which vary vastly, and there may never be agreement on the matter. There are many pros and cons to social media in general, but it was interesting to narrow the focus down to relationships inside and outside the classroom. When I was going through school, social media didn’t exist (outside of MSN messenger) for the majority of my experience, and I got my first cellphone when I was fifteen or sixteen, which was by no means a “smartphone.” Nowadays, children are being given the newest phones at incredibly early ages. Some of my friends that are teaching have discussed having cellphone problems in their grade four classrooms, which really surprised me at first. I selected this article, and question, to report on because I, too, am interested in hearing others’ thoughts on this matter.
           While a hot-button topic, there are many ways that social media can enhance relationships inside and outside the classroom. First, it’s a way to stay connected to classmates on a personal and social level, but potentially an educational level as well if topics from the classroom spark interest outside of the classroom. This could lead students that have similar interests pursue similar goals all while building a network together. Further, this gives students that may be more introverted in person a chance to connect with their peers in a way that may be more appealing to them. Another critical advantage to working with social media at early ages is that it prepares students for life after school. As Jim outlines in the article, “…employers are asking us to prepare our students to function in the modern workplace. They want employees who can collaborate, think creatively and critically, and use technology responsibly and ethically” (Pp. 136-137). While these are skills that are already being taught in schools, social media offers a unique advantage as the majority of students use the same platforms. I felt that this discussion in the article really resonated with me because that is the nature of the reality we are faced with. As future teachers, our goal is to educate students and equip them with the necessary tools to function in life once they’ve moved on from our classroom. However, I do still strongly believe that while social media is here to stay for the foreseeable future, there still needs to be specific education on how to utilize social media inside the classroom responsibly and ethically. This is important to consider as students may have little-to-few constraints on their social media at home, and educating them on the pros and cons at school may be the only time they learn of the duality of social media. While there are also ways that social media can have a negative impact on relationships inside the classroom, I agree with Jim again as he states, “…we need to remove constraints and not add them if our students are going to navigate this brave new world of ours” (p. 137). Students must be educated in every aspect of social media, with the hopes that it will be used responsibly. Using social media in the classrooms, appropriately, can enhance relationships inside of the school between the teacher and students by educating them about the pros and cons of social media, and between students by keeping them connected outside of the classroom.
           After acknowledging some of the ways social media can enhance relationships inside and outside of the classroom, it is also important to discuss some of the ways it can disrupt relationships inside and outside of the classroom. The first thought that comes to mind is the problem of cyber-bullying. This gives the feeling that students can’t escape from others due to always being connected outside of the classroom. This would absolutely disrupt relationships inside and outside of the classroom as the bullying may feel like it will never end. Another downside of social media is that it doesn’t allow student to “unplug.” They are essentially wired to their devices while spending countless hours on social media. This can lead to sleep deprivation which can greatly impact the relationships made at school. Further, social media can be a dangerous place for teachers to form bonds with their students outside of the classroom. In the article, Sharam states, “…[b]ut what would make me happier still would be a decision to prohibit all social media contact between teachers and students. In this way, no student, or teacher, for that matter, would ever be victimized in any way” (p. 136). This case study showcased a real-life problem that we as future teachers will be faced with. There are many opinions on how social media can enhance and disrupt relationships inside and outside of the classroom, and I can only imagine that these debates will continue.