"Every social media platform is designed to offer a particular experience"
(Lawrence, 2008, p. 48). Social media allows people to communicate by comment
walls, profiles, photo galleries and direct messages. Facebook continues to be the
leader in social media use. YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and others are still being
used by young and old alike (Lawrence, 2008). This blog post will examine
a particular Facebook post that became controversial and was shared to
TikTok. Social media has a unique role in digital writing and digital
argument. The goal of this analysis is to share research that will enable
students and adults to monitor and analyze their readings and writings on
social media. Whether the information is being written or shared on social
media, the goal is to have knowledge of the argument they are creating
and the results involved (Turner & Hicks, 2017).
Click link below to view
An analysis of the TikTok video by Justin Baeder, in which he shared a Facebook
video post (since removed) by Gerry Brooks, will reinforce the importance of being
mindful when participating on social media. Both Dr. Baeder and Gerry Brooks are
popular authors and educators with large followings on several social media
platforms.They are seasoned digital media professionals but are not immune to
controversy and argument. The quote by Turner and Hicks (2017) applies to
all producers and consumers of social media, “read like a writer, write for a reader,
and be mindful of both roles as you produce arguments that can be shared on the web.”
The MINDFUL acronym (Monitor, Identify, Note, Determine, Facts, Understand,
Leverage) acronym recommended by Turner and Hicks (2017) will be used to take a
closer look at Dr. Baeder’s video. As we “Monitor” the video, the intended audience
appears to be educators and parents. The main claim, the “Identify” element, is that
extremely disruptive students should be removed from the classroom. Dr. Baeder
reinforces his opinion by reposting Gerry Brook’s video. The “Note” evidence is the
author’s agreement with Gerry Brook’s video as he graphically describes students that
are so disruptive and unsafe that learning cannot happen. As we “Determine” the
framework and mindset of the author, we determine that the author’s personal
experience is used to convey his beliefs. The “Facts” are not specific in Baeder’s
video–only his opinion. As we attempt to “Understand” the counter argument we
recognize that others outside the target audience might disagree with Baeder and
Brooks. The confrontational tone of Gerry Brooks invites debate. As we examine
the “Leverage” of sharing this information, an endorsement of this claim might invite
anger and debate claiming discriminatory educational practices. (Turner & Hicks, 2017.
As an educator, we have a responsibility to protect and guide students and adults to
be responsible when using social media. By simply “liking” a post indicates endorsement
of the argument (Turner & Hicks, 2017). One of the biggest lessons I learned from the
analysis of the Baeder video is that anything posted on social media never goes away. Even
though Gerry Brooks wanted to delete his video and separate himself from the argument, his
video and opinion did not go away. This particular video will forever be linked to him because
itt was copied and shared. Impressionable students need to learn the same lesson. The “Think”
acronym shared by Turner and Hicks (2017) is a useful graphic that could be posted in all
classrooms. We all need to be reminded about the importance building a positive digital
footprint (Turner & Hicks, 2017).
(Turner and Hicks, 2017, p. 121)
References
Baeder, J. [@eduleadership]. (2024, January 31). Should students lose their right to
a public education if their behavior is so unsafe or disruptive that it makes
learning impossible for everyone else? [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/
Brooks, G. (2021). Who is Gerry. Gerry Brooks. https://www.gerrybrooksprin.com/about
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web.
Broadview Press.
Turner, K. W. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read
and write digital texts. Heinemann.
Nikki, I found your post very insightful. I love the THINK poster and actually had a version of it hanging up in my classroom. Social media allows people to absorb a lot of information in a short period of time. This often results in people hastily reacting without giving careful consideration to the ramifications of their words. Like you mentioned, once you put something on social media, it is out there forever. That is why it is so important to teach young people about their digital footprint. Being older and experiencing these platforms evolve over the last twenty years has made me more cautious because I wasn't inundated with all of it at once. Our young people are getting phones and downloading all of the social media sites. They are so excited to be on them that they don't think about how their posts and comments could affect them in the future. The MINDFUL acronym from Turner and Hicks (2017) is something that should be heavily taught in school. Over the past couple of years, I have seen how a mindless teenage treat can cause a now more mature college student to lose their scholarship.
ReplyDeleteNikki, your post was packed with great information. The acronyms MINDFUL, by (Turner and Hicks, 2017) is so important to use with students as early as we can because not knowing how to utilize social media platforms can be detrimental for them in so many ways. "Adolescents’ experiences online are affected by both 1) how they shape their own social media experiences ( they choose whom to like and follow); and 2) both visible and unknown features built into social media platforms"(American Psychology Association 2023).
ReplyDeleteAmerican Psychological Association. (2023). Health Advisory on social media use in adolescence. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use
Great blog! I agree with the information provided. It is important to inform students about the use of social media and how to be mindful when posting "By simply “liking” a post indicates endorsement of the argument "(Hicks, 2017).
ReplyDeleteReference:
Turner, K. W. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.
I love the THINK poster from Turner and Hicks (2017) I think it may be an even easier way to remember what is important to think about when either reading or posting on social media! It is extremely important to teach our students to THINK when using social media. Turner and Hicks (2017) mention on the Heinemann blog, “digital texts influence what students buy, who they vote for, and what they believe about themselves and their world.”
ReplyDelete