Social Networking Is Not so Bad after All

Social networking has re-defined the rules of social communication by linking people belonging to different parts of the world through online communities. Never before has the speed of messaging been so fast and the delivery mechanism so efficient.

Every new technology has its positive and negative sides and social networking has been largely criticized for breaking the culture of traditional face-to-face communication. Nonetheless, the benefits of social networking cannot be ignored in playing a productive role in the lives of our children.

The Future is Here

Future Creators is a free after-school program for 13 to 16-year-olds in Dublin, Ireland. The program is delivered by the digital Hub Development Agency in collaboration with the National College of Art and Design.

The underlying concept of this program is to help disadvantaged kids to keep themselves updated on technological progress and reduce their chances of dropping out of school.

An evaluation of Future Creators showed that the participants of the program were performing better at schools and were becoming more engaged, communicative and interested in learning.

Apart from leading to academic success, there are other advantages that are also associated with this program and most of them make sense.

Relevant to Reality

Our education system is headed for disaster if schools waste the chance to catch up to digital developments. This would mean that the reality inside schools would be completely different from the reality of the students’ lives.

The sooner parents, teachers and other people concerned admit the fact that social media is here to stay, the better.

Decrease in School Drop-out Rate

Teachers have been voicing their exciting disbelief in Dublin schools over the decrease in the rate of school drop-outs. According to some academics, students who were previously underperformers and had high levels of absenteeism improved their academic records after participating in the Future Creators program.

The Urge to Excel

From among the many advantages of social networking, one positive aspect is the challenging nature of these networks. The environment in social networks is informal and challenges participants to be creative in their online activities.

Teaching a New Dog the Latest Tricks

Interaction of teenagers with technology is a routine thing in modern times. Social networking makes teenagers feel at home because they have literally grown up with smartphones, tablet computers, and digital players. Therefore, kids feel that they are in a familiar territory when they experiment with the options made available by social networking.

The Party Crashers

Politicians have somehow been very vocal in criticizing the social networking culture for destroying the social makeup of society.

Even more distressing is the fact that 63 percent of parents think that smartphones and social networks should be banned in schools to control the problem of online abuse. These statistics were made available by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) survey.

Added Benefits

Most people still lack a clear understanding of the opportunities that are created everyday by digital technologies. Digital tools can help engage students in productive pursuits and save money for schools by creating an efficient teaching and student body, while also enhancing the digital literacy skills of students.

According to Professor Stephen Heppell, a global leader in ICT and learning, “Every turned-off device is potentially a turned-off child”.

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