Blog #6

In this week’s blog, I will be discussing the benefits and challenges of community engagement in terms of my PLN. Based on the reading and video provided in this week’s content, I will be highlighting the main ideas in comparison to my personal experiences. 

How does social media help engage in community-based communications?

The increased usage of social media has created large hubs and an increase in community-based communication. These hubs help easily connect users with similar interests such as fan accounts creating a sense of community. Community-based communication is an efficient and effective strategy to gain and spread information which may be more difficult if not in a community. For example, a user with animal rights views can easily share information on this topic and reach the maximum engagements if utilized on a community-based platform; Moreover than on their personal platform as their following would have more individual interests. Another example my group discussed in our weekly meeting was GoFundMe campaigns. These campaigns gain attention as they are a form of community-based communication.

How does social media challenge community-based communications? 

Community-based communication comes with its challenges. Stereotypically, baby boomer individuals are typically not effective in community-based communications on social media platforms as they are unfamiliar with this ‘new’ communication tool. This results in a misrepresented tone in their speech and the absence of social cues a later generation has less of an issue with. This creates confusion and challenges when engaging with one another within the community hub. 

Within community engagement, are their extended rules from the employer that you should consider?

Yes. In most incidences employers monitor employee social media content to some extent to ensure what they are putting on the internet is compliant with the company rules and regulations. In most cases, social media posts do not go as far as evicting the employee however, employees should still be aware. Further, employees sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that they are not allowed to post threatening content of the company on social media. As community-based communication can spread easily, this should be avoided. An example of this is McDonald’s Canada. In my high school years, I worked at McDonald’s and had to sign a yearly non-disclosure stating that I am not allowed to post threatening posts/release any information about the company online. This ensures the company is in the good eyes of the public.

Are there cultural sensitivities that should be considered?

In today’s social media, there are many cultural sensitivities to be considered when engaging on the platforms. As social media is heavily political, this is an important factor to reflect on. Some examples are cultural sensitivities including the increased rate of pronouns and cultural appropriations. These are the most common sensitivities on my social media and if not carefully done, can raise a large response. 

What should your PLN say about you as you communicate to the public via social media or communication tools?

I would hope that my PLN would say I am a reliable, trusted source with the content I share on social media. Further, I am engaged in the conversation and share my thoughts. However, this could be different based on when I connected with the user. As we are all maturing, my views 5 years ago could be very different than my views today. Therefore, this could raise differences in what my PLN has to say about me. Based on this week’s video, Angie Kermer highlighted that she went to school outside her current occupation. She mentioned that she did this to gain a new perspective that she normally wouldn’t if staying with the RCMP. I believe that these types of experiences help us grow as is reflected in our PLNs. 

What does it mean to balance your professional expectations and your personal beliefs in curating a PLN for the purpose of career development?

Balance of my professional expectations to my personal beliefs is key when curating a reliable, strong PLN. Many of our professional expectations are that we want to gain something from one another however, this shouldn’t be the case. My personal beliefs are saying that I don’t necessarily have to ‘gain’ something with every conversation to further my career development and that ‘gains’ come with time. Therefore, if there is a solid balance between these two, the individual will result in the largest outcomes.

What do you think you need to reflect on (in regards to your PLN or development of a PLN) to adapt to evolving social media communication expectations as a community learns more about who you are?

When reflecting on adapting communications on social media there are many things to consider. The first is filtering. Social media is not real life in that you shouldn’t share ‘everything’ about yourself. I believe that filtering content will show the community only what you want them to see while still ensuring you’re your authentic self. Second, social media is continually adapting as we speak therefore continual learning is a key factor to reflect. Lastly, reaching out is the last factor to reflect on. I plan to reach out to my networks if I believe something may have come across the wrong way (engaging in conversation) and vice versa, my networks reaching out to me when my content is insensitive. This helps both parties learn, grow, and adapt.

References:

EDCI_338. (2020, October 18). A01 – Russell, M. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH_UiTWYYwU&feature=youtu.be

EDCI_338. (2020, October 18). A01 – Kermer, A. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH_UiTWYYwU&feature=youtu.be