As I mentioned in the previous posts, social media is a place where people can expand their PLN. It is the same for famous figure, and they could use to developing their PLN although they might already have a solid network with other notable people. They use social media to post pictures of their daily life and attract more people to follow them. Being a notable person means all your actions are in the public eye, and you would be judged by various people every day on what you are posting online. Famous figures use social media to express their personalities. Influencers drive the development of niche languages-frequently used jargon, preferred labels, key conversations, and overall trends.
Followers recognize the influencers’ expertise in niche markets and follow their social media updates with great interest. In turn, influential people aim to cater to the strong interests of their followers and adjust their positions accordingly, while maintaining a position that represents their values and personality. Social media influencers are early adopters of products that set trends among the wider consumer base. They use their social media platforms to help amplify the information. Some influential people have built enough influence on the product line, and companies have the opportunity to launch their product series. Although some influential people use their visibility on social media to start their own business, some successful celebrities hope to expand their influence on social media and become more influential.
Being in the public eye and having a PLN, create more opportunities to help others know you better. Like Jody Vance described in her real-world experiences, having a PLN in the public eye has led her to several opportunities that she ever dreamed of. Moreover, a solid and healthy PLN can be achieved in the public eye. People often not only focus on what you are posting or sharing, also are curious about the list of people that you are connected with. Therefore, being in the public eye and having also helped on maintaining positive personal networks.
That’s leading to the next topic: risks of engaging with public audiences on social media. Although people built the online world decades ago, cyber law is still underdeveloped compared to the development of cyberspace. I just read the news about an influencer on Tiktok, and she is a teenager who posts selfies online every day. A crazy fan hacked into her account and found all her personal information. She would receive hate mail occasions from people she never met.
Many people try to make work and life separate. The rise of social media provided by the employer has made this line increasingly blurred. The traditional definition of private space is outdated, and the way social networks are used at work is also changing. It is good to interact with colleagues on social networks. Especially for small companies with a great working atmosphere, it is not difficult to turn colleagues into friends. Private space is being increasingly eroded by social networks. Obviously, complaining about work or colleagues on social networks is never a wise move. Especially, when your online social circle includes the person who has been complained of. In the Internet age, it only takes a few seconds for news to spread all over the world. Things sent out impulsively may make you regret it all your life.
The purpose of a professional network is to obtain information, increase your visibility in your field, and establish interpersonal relationships that help your career development. No matter how much you love your job, you should always look for ways to expand your networks. Ideally, your contacts will follow you from one position to another. A strong network allows you to get advice from trusted sources, keep your expertise up-to-date, look for career opportunities and support the careers of others. There should be many types of your network; individuals from different companies, professional levels, and professions can add a range of perspectives. Keeping in touch with university friends who might be in different companies and industries. It is an easy way to build a network. It is also a wise idea to join a professional association in your field, and regularly participate in their activities. Finally, investigate your company’s sponsorship program; many organizations provide individuals with opportunities to build networks within the company. Training activities, management visits, guest speakers, or various types of interest-based activities can generate the same types of connections as external activities.
With the development of Internet technology and the widespread application of social media, it has become easier to obtain or publish information, bringing convenience to people’s work, study and life. However, because the Internet and social media have lowered the threshold for information release, and caused a huge amount of online information to be rumours, misinformation or false information were widely spread. For those veteran storytellers, they spend time searching for reliable sources and information before posting things online. One of the biggest secrets of professional bloggers is that they do not know all the information. This does not mean that all blogs are fake forgers. On the contrary, the natural curiosity of many bloggers makes them good at their work. What enables them to do this and authoritatively write about the topic is knowing how to research blogposts appropriately. If they rely on third-party information to write blog posts, they choose an authoritative source. Official associations, government websites, heavily cited research papers, and outstanding industry experts are examples. However, no one is always right, so the storyteller should contact each source with skepticism about the practice of journalists and question all issues until they are sure that the information is reliable. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is important to avoid such mistakes. And take responsibility immediately and be transparent about them if it is ever happening.
Reference
Miller. (2021, June 6). Jody Vance: Media Voices [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0A.
Activities on social media can effectively reach millions of people at a very low cost. As more and more people use social media, marketers of major brands, including cross-border e-commerce, are planning various activities on social media to find more potential customers. If I were going to engage a social media campaign on increasing my brand’s awareness, I would initially determine a meaningful goal. This goal allows your marketing activities to be more focused and will not be affected by other irrelevant things. For example, I would like to create a campaign about the ocean and marine life on social media because environmental protection has always been a hot topic in our community. The targeting audiences are the majority of our society, especially those who care about marine animals.
Prior to the campaign, I would create a PLN to improve the influence on social media. Social media advertising has a huge impact, and the date is important too. I will capitalize on World Ocean Day, which is on June 8 of every year. Use keywords to help potential participants find our brand page and discover our event. In order to increase the traffic of social media activities, I need to share some valuable content. Initially, I would post fun facts about the ocean and marine animals on Twitter and Instagram and building connections with people who have a passion for environmental protection. Selecting the content that the audience is interested in and increases the media visibility of the campaign. Second, cooperating with organizations that have the same target audience as mine is also a good way to increase the influence of my social media campaign. For example, Vancouver Aquarium is a great organization to connect with and promote the campaign. Lastly, using the power of celebrities can make it stand out quickly. In fact, many consumers rely on the recommendations of celebrities. Build relationships with key people in the conservation industry, talk to them about the event and let them participate in the social media campaign. Also, I could encourage my fans to create content and tag our social media campaign, and providing some rewards can more effectively stimulate their creation. Increasing engagement is about ensuring that fans are active and willing to take action. Sharing user-generated content is a great way to connect with the targeting audience and get great content to publish.
In my last two blogs, we have gone through what is PLN and the use of the digital platform to expand our PLN nowadays. Due to globalization, the exchange of information becomes more effective than old days. People are using various communication tools to keep updated with the latest trend and be connect with others. The rapid development of science and technology and tremendous changes in the social structure have brought unprecedented increases in productivity. At the same time, people’s communication methods and living forms also present brand new content. The living space was no longer confined to the traditional narrow area, and it began to gradually expand to a global scope. In short, the emergence of modern civilization has enabled the full development of science, technology, and productivity, brought about a high degree of prosperity in material wealth, and at the same time promoted unprecedented close exchanges between different nations and countries on a global scale. Together, the process of globalization of human society has made great achievements, and the exchanges and interactions between different countries and between different civilizations have reached an unprecedented level.
In particular, the modern economy and modern market have pushed this connection to a very close state. Since the late 90s, the emergence of the Internet has elevated the relationship between human society to a global scale. Digitization has improved people’s lives. During the epidemic, digital service trade and e-commerce ensured the normal operation of economic sectors. The global digital ecosystem is promoting social and economic recovery and enhancing future economic resilience. Today, the advent of a global community requires everyone to embrace a mixture of people and their minds.
I am using email, Facebook, and WeChat for my PLN. For example, as a third-year economics student, I constantly using emails and Messenger to contact and exchange information with instructors and fellow students within the department. Moreover, our way of communication has been changed significantly with the outbreak of the pandemic. Social media and digital platforms have become vital communication tools, especially these days. People switch on to Zoom for meetings and conferences overseas. With the use of these digital platforms, I could have a group meeting with my classmate regardless of our location. I would have the opportunity to connect with people around the world who have similar interests to mine. Sometimes, I would look up videos on YouTube for concepts or topics we discussed in class. My PLN is mainly formed of fellow students in the Department of Economics, and we are different in age, gender, and even nationality. It is such a diverse group of people to learn with, and a great opportunity to connect and involved with individual who has different belief from you. In addition, I enjoy learning from a variety of voices rather than being the loudest in the room. Listening and learning from different voices leads to open-mindedness and the ability to accept different views and cultures. For example, my favourite in-class exercise is the group discussion, and I could hear voices from group members and other groups. It is a fun experience where everyone can post their ideas and share them with others. In the end, we always come up with a collective thought.
Information sharing plays a big part in my personal life. I love hiking and outdoor activities, and I always share my experiences on the Facebook group. Food is another topic that I like to share with others. I would review every restaurant I visit and share my thought about their food on Google Map. Also, it is fun to read others’ reviews. As I mentioned with the in-class discussion, we are hearing and learning from others, and we are accepting and including other ideas in the end. A diverse PLN allows us to improve our opportunities to ask questions, learning from others, and getting help from others. These opportunities are much greater than the opportunities we get from daily face-to-face interactions.
With my gradually growing PLN, I learned how to listening, to share with others. My cognition and thoughts have also changed with these changes and are more mature. The way which ensures your exposure to diversity and inclusion is never to be afraid to meet and connect with others. Second, expressing your thought to other as well as accepting a various voice. Lastly, building a sustainable PLN can make a major difference in exposure to a diverse and inclusive environment. After the reading and video, I started to re-think my definition of inclusion. Inclusion is about allowing and accepting others to participate in the environment as who he/she is. People are being accepted and keep engaging in the community.
Reference
Moore, S., & Schnellert, L. (2017). In One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion (Vol. 1, Ser. Reimagining Inclusion: The ONE Series, pp. 6–10, 11-12). essay, Portage & Main Press.
Moore, Shelley. The Evolution of Inclusion: The Past and Future of Education. 1 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo.
Above is my V&R map. I mainly using WeChat daily to keep in touch with family and friends while studying abroad. Instagram, Weibo and Tiktok are places where I could keep up to date with the latest trends. In addition, I love to write comments on Google Maps about a restaurant that I have been to and liked. Email, Zoom and UVic online library are the ones that I primarily use for schoolwork. LinkedIn is a place that can be connected with people in a similar field of study. Undoubtedly, I search for many things online every day, for example when is the 2021 Halloween. In this case, Google, Wikipedia and Baidu are platforms where I could find all this information.
What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?
The most common digital platforms students currently using to develop their professional network are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Many people using Facebook to connect with their family, friends and even colleagues. Facebook displays information about your job and education. You might even get to know employers and find they have great opportunities for internships or even permanent staff jobs at their company. Moreover, the chat group is formed on Facebook. One of my friend who is currently studying in Biology at UVic. He joined a group, Jobs in Environmental Studies and Ecology @UVic, on Facebook, and most people in this group are undergraduate students or graduate in the science field at UVic. People share job posting from all over the world in this group, and most of the job opportunities are in Canada. But it is impressive that you could connect to someone who studied and graduated in a similar field. Comparing to Facebook, LinkedIn is mainly for developing a professional network. LinkedIn is today’s fastest-growing recruiting company, and the purpose of the website is to allow registered users to maintain the contacts they know. User can invite people that he/she knows to become contacts, and also use the platform to find and expand their contacts. Through the connection and communication of these contacts, they can find suitable jobs or better job opportunities through LinkedIn. Instagram has become a popular social media platform for small businesses. I have many friends who are using Instagram to developing their professional network. For example, a friend of mine is currently studying in Media Arts, and he has opened an official account for his studio on Instagram. He posting pictures or short clips of his work, and people would contact him for business on Instagram.
What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?
As a student, it is the easiest time of your life to expanding your professional learning network. You could connect with fellow students in your department. Students can meet and connect to people who have a similar interest in the field from volunteer and internship opportunities. Nowadays, many people have decided to connect and expand their network through digital platforms. From my point of view, there are different platforms for students to developing their professional learning network with different professions. For a science student, the most common way to expanding their professional learning network would be connecting to peers and instructors at school and scientific conferences. They are more likely to use LinkedIn for their potential connections because it looks more professional than an account on Instagram. When it comes to art students, Instagram becomes the primary tool where they post their work. The flexibility of the system affords the student the ability to personalize their account. Another thing that students should consider is their objective. To illustrate, a student who wants to start his/her business would connect to someone who has their business started.
In your network how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?
A person’s reputation is always related to their conduct, ability, and achievement. One way to build trust is to share a positive experience. You can show off your achievements or awards. The online world is the same as the real world. To build your reputation, you must participate in various activities, stand up for morals, stand up for others, and help others in the online world. It is necessary to have such a long-term management mentality to make better use of the Internet, also mastering skills, which help promote yourself in the online world.
Discover what an employer would find based on your V+R Map if you applied for a job with them?
An employer would find both my personal and professional life based on my V&R map. They would find out my previous education and work experiences on my LinkedIn account. They would also find more information on my skills and achievements on LinkedIn. Next, they might investigate my personal life on Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, they would find that I am a person who loves outdoor activities and has always been pro the environment protection. And they would find I am a cat lover on Instagram, I love animals. They would figure out that I am a person who is constantly active on the different digital platforms based on my V&R map, and I am comfortable with various forms of internet communication. Employers could discover I spent more time on Google Scholar and UVic online library (where highly credible and reliable resources are) rather than Wikipedia with my academic research.
Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)
Personal Learning Networks, also known as PLNs, describe the group of people who can connect to and gain/share knowledge. They can be your peers, family, and people that you never meet in person. With the rapid development of network technology, people begin to create their networks for the purpose of learning with the application of network tools such as blogs, wikis, Facebook, and other social media platform. Personal learning networks enhance the opportunities to interacting with others, learn from others, and get help from others. These opportunities are much greater than the opportunities we get from face-to-face interaction.
With the further increase in Internet penetration, the deepening of Internet applications by netizens, and the gradual advancement of the Web2.0 tide, online communities have become the fundamental applications for netizens on the Internet. Internet users use the Internet to establish a series of interpersonal relationships in the virtual society and increasingly extend real-life interpersonal relationships to the Internet. The diversified network applications of online communities are changing the perception and the usage habit of people. In recent years, the user scale of online communities increased exponentially, and various online communities have developed rapidly in competition. Online communities playing an instrumental role and gradually become an important portal for the majority to entertain and obtain information. With a significant increase of online users, identification becomes a part of the online community.
What is digital Identity?
Identity is the imprint that everyone is born with it. In recent years, with the rapid development of the Internet, the form of identity has gradually transitioned from physical to virtual, digitized, and networked. The identification of certainty and credibility has become a topic that the public urgently needs to discuss.
Digital identity is a concept in cyberspace. It refers to a set of data that describes a person or an entity on the Internet. It is an online identity used by individuals, organizations or electronic devices in the network or network identity. These individuals, organizations or electronic devices may have more than one digital identity through different online communities. These digital identities are composed of some characteristics or digital attributes. A digital identity may also be associated with other digital identities, such as Facebook, Linkedin, etc. Although these identity-related attributes can help determine an individual identity to a certain extent, these attributes can be changed, hidden, or even discarded. The other form is the digital sovereign identity, which meets the regulatory policies of the government. And these digital identity is issued by the National Citizen Network Identity Recognition System.
Over the years, social media has dominated the Internet. People using social media to share and communicate with others in daily life. Organizations establish and maintain the good status of their corporate image on social media. Unlike individual users, organizations and companies using social media in large part for commercial purposes. Many companies use social media as a tool to communicate with customers. Companies can respond to a group of customers with a single blog post. Moreover, companies are no longer limited to finding the best employees through traditional advertising. Candidates can be recruit through social media. Job search websites and apps allow companies to share job vacancies within the scope of the website and better screen job applicants. The social element adds a whole new dimension to the traditional interview process. For example, recruiters could connect with job applicants before the interview on Linkedin. People can link with similar contact of networks, hobbies, recognized skills, and so on.
Digital identities are essential to open a wide range of new interactions between consumers, businesses, and governments. It plays a key role in providing new digital services, simplifying operations, reducing entry costs and managing fraud. Personally identifiable information (PII) is the fatal weakness of digitization. As consumers continue to change their financial and retail habits online, more personally identifiable information (PII) is held by companies. The rapid migration of enterprises to the cloud makes consumer data increasingly fragile on the network and difficult to monitor. The proliferation of mobile devices used for business-critical functions has added an additional level of security exposure. People are disclosing more personal information than ever. Hackers continue to use various types of attacks to obtain and use that personal information which causes serious damage to consumers and businesses.
Reference
What is a personal learning network (PLN)? FutureLearn. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644.
Allison, A., Currall, J., Moss, M., & Stuart, S. (2005). Digital Identity Matters. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56(4), 364–372. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20112
Boyd, D. (2012). Networked privacy. Surveillance & society, 10(3/4), 348.
Hello! My name is Lawrence, He. I’m currently in my third year of BA in Economics at UVic. In my free time, I like playing computer games with friends. I also love outdoor activities, such as hiking and snowboarding. Looking forward to the class.
Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:
- Do you want to be online vs. offline?
- Do you want to use your name (or part thereof) vs. a pseudonym (e.g., West Coast Teacher)?
- Do you want to have your blog public vs. private? (Note, you can set individual blog posts private or password protected or have an entire blog set to private)
- Have you considered whether you are posting within or outside of Canada? This blog on opened.ca is hosted within Canada. That said, any public blog posts can have its content aggregated/curated onto social networks outside of Canada.
First tasks you might explore with your new blog:
- Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
- Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “edci338” category).
- See if your blog posts are appearing on the course website (you must have the the edci338 category assigned to a post first and have provided your instructor with your blog URL)
- Add pages, if you like.
- Include hyperlinks in your posts (select text and click on the link icon in the post toolbar)
- Embed images or set featured images and embed video in blog posts and pages (can be your own media or that found on the internet, but consider free or creative commons licensed works). To embed a YouTube video, simply paste the URL on its own line.
- Under Dashboard/Appearance,
- Select your preferred website theme and customize to your preferences (New title, new header image, etc.)
- Customize menus & navigation
- Use widgets to customize blog content and features
- Delete this starter post (or switch it to draft status if you want to keep it for reference)
Do consider creating categories for each course that you take should you wish to document your learning (or from professional learning activities outside of formal courses). Keep note, however, that you may wish to rename the label of the course category in menus (e.g., as we did where it shows “Social Media & PL” as the label for the “edci338” category menu. This will enable readers not familiar with university course numbers to understand what to expect in the contents.
Lastly, as always, be aware of the FIPPA as it relates to privacy and share only those names/images that you have consent to use or are otherwise public figures. When in doubt, ask us.
Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:
- WordPress resources
- Using RSS feeds to read blog posts from your networks (e.g., Feedly)
- Privacy resources
- Copyright resources
- Finding images you can use