Page 369 - Keys To Community College Success

APPENDIX B

Social Networking and Media

Social networking refers to interacting with a community of people through an online net-
work or tool such as Facebook, Instagram, forums (message boards), or chat rooms. Social
media are the types of media people use to share information online (examples include web
logs or blogs, podcasts, websites, videos, and news feeds). Social media allows participation
through comments and ratings. The people who provide social media content range from
experts to amateurs, which means the content will not always be accurate or trustworthy.
In general, social networking and media make three things possible:
1. Communicating information about yourself to others
2. Connecting with people who have similar interests
3. Networking with others to accomplish goals

Social networking has grown rapidly worldwide through sites like the following:

■ Facebook (enables users to set up personal profiles and communicate with other
users through profile updates, public or private messages, games, and photos)
■ Twitter (enables users to send or receive short text updates, or “tweets,” to other
users signed up on their accounts)
■ Skype (enables users to make telephone calls over the Internet)

HOW SOCIAL NETWORKING CAN HELP YOU
in college

Use social networking and media to:

■ Connect with peers to achieve academic goals. Students might create groups
that correspond to courses, study together on an Internet call, or post course-
related questions and comments on a message board or chat room used by the
class (try: Facebook, Skype).
■ Manage coursework and projects. Particular sites can help you search for infor-
mation, study, and ask questions. When doing a group project, social networking
can help you collaborate in an online format (try: Evernote, Google Docs,
EtherPad, Wikidot).
■ Network with students who have shared interests. A student might start a blog
on an academic topic and hope to attract interested readers, or look for groups
or Internet forums (try: Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest).
■ Adjust to college. Ask other students at your school about local issues (bus sched-
ules, library hours), or ask students anywhere in the world about more general
concerns (test anxiety). You can even use social media to stay organized (try:
Twitter, Facebook, GradeMate, Backpack).
■ Focus on career development. Put your qualifications and career goals out there
for others to peruse, and build a network that may lead you to job opportunities
(try: LinkedIn, Zumeo).

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