Social Media, a Library of Education by Rafael

Social Media, a Library of Education by Rafael - March 2022 Scholarship Essay

If you were to ask your parents or an adult what they used to acquire information while in school, they will most likely tell you the library. On the other hand, if you asked me the same question I'd respond with ”through the internet.” During the last decade, technology has advanced significantly which has allowed for the access of knowledge to be at our fingertips. The transition from books to computers has already begun and with it comes notable advantages and disadvantages.

To start off, social media has positively impacted the way I learn. Living in a disadvantaged community I have realized how limited my resources were when it came to education. This stems from living in a low income area where opportunities are minimal. That includes things such as tutors, exam preparations, or inadequate resources in school. Furthermore, the root of it all being lack of financial stability for these resources to be available. Nevertheless, with the growing use of technology, I was fortunate enough to have a computer accessible to me as I was in school. With this I took it upon myself to create my own opportunities. I now had access to the same resources regardless of where I lived or who I was. I was able to learn many things, such as the basics of coding as I aspired to be a software developer. Without social media or the internet I would not have had the chance to learn this so early on since computer science is not offered at my high school. With platforms such as YouTube, there are countless free videos from students and teachers that can serve as guidance in anything that you need. I also used these platforms to help me succeed in my exams such as the AP tests or SAT. All in all, Social media has impacted the way I learn by expanding and improving my education with a wide range of information and advice.

Education has many benefits as mentioned before, but also has negative effects that have arisen since the use of technology increased. First, because so much information can be found online, it can cause information overload. Social media allows for anyone to post anything regardless of their qualifications leading to a lot of available information. When students are trying to find the answer to their questions, they may fall into the trap of using inaccurate statistics or facts because of some of the work being uncredible. On the contrary, heading down to your local library you are able to find primary source documents with reliable information. The problem is that nowadays no one wants to go to their local library, but instead it is much simpler to search up any questions you have on social media which only takes a few seconds. This introduces an entirely different problem where students are becoming lazier when it comes to finding research. According to the article, “How Does Google Affect the Way We Learn?” Anne Steinhoff states, “Instead of searching the answer for every possible question online without questioning the content, students need to re-develop the skill of critical thinking.” In other words, social media is inhibiting our ability to think for ourselves as we are constantly searching up everything. Without the use of critical thinking we are unable to create innovative and original ideas which is the key for successful work.

In conclusion, social media has both positive and negative effects on education. Notable benefits include easily accessible information that provides a wide range of assistance from guidance to direct help with school. On the other hand, the large amount of information available poses a problem for students who want to find accurate and reliable information. Oftentimes, they can be misled with inadequate information, but because of its easy access, they settle for what they find. Which is hindering critical thinking from students. Taking into account both the good and bad of social media on education, the benefits that come from the advancement of technology are far greater than the potential negatives. If you have access to social media, it gives you endless possibilities to learn and grow.