Social media: risk or vital opportunity?
37% of American school-aged children report having been cyberbullied (Google Survey, 2017) Safe guards often fail, like age restrictions for accounts on social media platforms. This is amongst the many often cited reasons for keeping social media out of the classroom (see the link above as an example). In fact, most have a visceral response to the very idea. Exposing learners to cyberbullying is certainly a risk any instructor should consider. But is blocking the use of social media in our classrooms really the best way of keeping our learners out of danger? Life is occurring more and more in digital spaces. As the generations shift, it will only become more important that learners of all ages are equipped to navigate digital spaces with safety in mind, for themselves and for everyone else. Opportunity for Digital Literacy Using social media in the classroom is a risk but also an opportunity, a vital one. Instructors and classroom experiences can...