Understand the Social Phenomenon

The invasion of social media on the sports world over the past year is somewhat remarkable as tweeting, Ustream channels, and the omnipresent Facebook become common “hangouts” for pro athletes.

What happens when the ability to access, communicate with, and connect to these individuals becomes a daily possibility? Will this shatter the fourth wall between us and them? How will this change our perceptions of these larger than life “gods”?

The reality of this is intriguing; however, it is overshadowed by the predictable reactions by the NFL and the US Open, both of whom banned social media recently as their way of addressing this phenomenon.

This reaction is not unlike many businesses, schools, and people I assume. How do we address areas we don’t fully understand, aren’t fully comfortable with what something means? It seems more often than not we start with rules. We start with rules that try to return us to a point of comfort. We set guidelines that make the foreign seem familiar. Only later do we question whether these rules make sense.

However, some are questioning right now. Andy Roddick is clear on his position in response to the US Open banning Twitter updates.  Chad (Johnson) Ocho Cinco is seeking amusing alternatives in response to the NFL banning social media. Students are hiding their use during school in response to the banning of social media and most media for that matter. Teachers are closing their doors and embracing in secret what they hope will help create a powerful learning environment.

This raises an important question: are these rules and “banning” of social media really addressing the issue? I’m not convinced.

I return to a point that I’ve raised a number of times over the past few years that has grown ever stronger with me: schools, like all organizations, need to work to understand the social phenomenon that is taking place with social media. Forget thinking about social media from the standpoint of rules that need to be created. Forget thinking about social media from the standpoint of how to teach with it.  Instead, utilize the time to come to a greater understanding of what is becoming ingrained in society and engage in broad discussions about the impact of this radical cultural shift.

It is then that we will come to understand potentially a new set of values and norms, a new way of looking at teaching and learning, and a new way of looking at rules and organizations – new ways that are productive and beneficial to all!

Organizations can’t turn a blind eye to this and pretend only a few people are doing it. Today, we have a new generation of employees entering the workforce with years of digital entries documenting their journey to adulthood. This generation comes with a different mindset about social media and where it fits into life both professionally and personally. We must address this, but we must avoid addressing it from a reactionary standpoint.

For schools, let’s address it from the perspective of what we want to see in our students: well-rounded thinkers that listen deeply, question frequently, and engage critically with difficult ideas and core knowledge all the while valuing intellectual and cultural diversity.

Image Jump on Social Media Bandwagon by Matt Hamm

Related posts:

1. House to Consider Social Networking Bill
2. Beyond the Web 2.0 Hype Opening
3. Old Issue or New Issue, does it matter?
4. Devil Worshipping, Brain-Damaged Gamer and Social Networker
5. Should We or Shouldn't We: Teachers and Students Friends on Facebook

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