It
doesn’t matter if you are young or old, rich or poor, interested in technology
or not, outgoing or introverted, you cannot deny that social media is an incredibly
important part of our nation and our world as a whole. The sheer number of
social media sites available for our access speaks to the prevalence that it
has in our daily lives. Every day, millions of messages are sent, millions of
photos are posted, and millions of comments are made on status updates, blogs,
news articles, and videos. In short, social media has become an information
powerhouse and as such has huge potential as a tool for education. The sheer
amount of information that is share through social media every day is arguably
its greatest strength. However, the social aspect of this type of information
dissemination means that people are engaging with these topics and this
material on a much deeper level than they would otherwise.
Richard Arthur Kelo is a financial expert and
economist who has tapped into the power of social media as a tool for
education. He has various social media outlets such as Twitter, YouTube,
StumbleUpon, and DeviantArt, all geared toward sharing information that he
thinks is useful. Of course, as a financial expert and economist, this means
that he posts articles and shares information regarding the state of the United
States economy. Because he has geared much of his writing toward social media,
he has a significant following and an engaging audience that is talking about
topics such as the minimum wage and housing bubbles. These topics are usually
far outside normal conversation for the average America but have found a unique
niche in online communities.
In a recent
article published by the Pew Research Center—of course online—they stated that
a majority of United States adult—62%—get news on social media and that 18% do
so often. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are ranked in the top 10 for social
networking sites that users log on to for new. However, Reddit actually took
the top position with %70 of Reddit users logging on to get their daily news.
Of course, the situation is slightly more complicated than that. While many
social networking sites do have active journalists writing for them, the
majority of news that people get from these sites are links to other online
publications such as the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. However, as a
means for spreading information, print publications simply cannot compete with
the convenience, efficiency, and cost-effective nature of social media.
Visit Rick Kelo official account onTwitter for more info on social media and education.