I do partake and engage in the use of social media, that is Web 2.0 social network sites where users such as myself and my friends create and share content and interact with the content created and shared by others. For example, I use my Instagram account to post pictures and videos and to like comment and repost the content of my friends, followers, and those I follow. Ironically, these days I treat my Insta more like it’s a Web 1.0 site where I am really a consumer of things. Emphasis on this is how I treat the site and not how the site treats me. I am still very much prompted to engage, react, share, and expand my network. I hardly share, like or repost anything. I will say that I use it to stay abreast on the reactions to current events. (Not the events themselves, but I generally enjoy the reactions to a fly in the VP’s mane.) The learning that takes place for me on Instagram is around more awareness of how others like me are reacting to current events. Instagram gives me a peak into the minds and lives of similar people who may nor be as similar or different from me as I thought. For example, when people react to the debates, I can ascertain some of the things that matter to them such as decorum in a presidential debate. Some times I think, “Am I the only one who saw/heard that?” I’ll go to Instagram as see my answer, ten of the people I follow saw it too. Then I’ll look to see how similar or dissimilar our reactions were. It’s an interesting way to see people in a different light that I may not see in class or on zoom.
Madison–your post really resonated with me as I also use social media in a way that positions me more of a “consumer” of knowledge rather than an “active” user who likes, posts, reposts, and comments in the social media space. I would consider myself somewhat of a lurker on social media networks, as I often look to see how others are thinking about, processing, talking about, reacting to, and engaging in particular current events and topics of interest. Like you, the technology affords me the ability and opportunity to be more of an active participant in this spaces; however, I choose to stay in the background and not engage in posting/reposting and/or dialogue with other users. I found your point that the learning that takes place for you on sites such as Instagram is more about awareness of others’ thoughts and ideas to very much reflect how I also view my learning on these sites. Social media (particularly social networking sites) provides me with a platform in which I gain awareness of new knowledge and of other opinions, ideas, reactions, interests, perspectives, and thoughts on particular topics and current events that shape the way I view, analyze, and critique my own ideas/insights into a particular topic. In this way, I struggle with positioning myself as merely a consumer of knowledge in social media spaces, as I am actively learning and continually constructing/co-constructing/re-constructing my knowledge even without socially interacting with others on the social media platform.
Hi Madison, Brittney’s reply and your post raise the question for me: Can we call something a “social media” if users are “consumers” and not creating content or interacting (liking, commenting, sharing) with the content of others, as in your definition of social media from the readings, Madison? Provocative post!
Madison, your explanations and experiences about Instagram super resonated with me! I really like to use Instagram to post my pictures, share stories about random things, follow people’s post and message with my friends as a way of communication and chatting. I also thought to write about Instagram for my post, but then I realize I only use it to share pictures and chat with others basically. It’s not super collaborative or interactive (intellectually) as other social media channels. I also like how you make the connection between your use of Instagram with Web 1 and Web 2. Finally, I also have a question that “To what extent Instagram provides us space to interact with our ideas or collaborate with others? Or how photography and different forms of visuals are powerful to build knowledge and support learning?
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