Throughout reading week 1’s articles, I can say that I have learned and understood a substantial amount of information regarding Personal Learning Networks (PLN), how to utilize them effectively, and the rewards and risks relating to them. Moreover, through our group discussion, we were able to share our own experiences with making and maintaining professional connections. For example, we discussed the importance of landing a co-op position while in University, which allows one to establish professional connections early on. Whilst creating connections is challenging enough, maintaining those connections can be even more difficult. This is where the social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, play a major role. By connecting with the people you work with through LinkedIn, it allows you to stay associated with them, increasing the chance of coming across each other in the future.
Networking through social media essentially refers to the process of connecting with people through the means of an online platform. With how technology works now, through mobile devices, humans check their phones numerous times throughout the day – where social media platforms are one of the leading applications that users browse. Popular platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, provide an excellent resource for people to follow people, join groups or organizations that can contribute to their personal and professional growth. By networking through social media, it involves creating and maintaining connections with others who share similar interests or professional goals. Finally, because of how dynamic these platforms are, they create a space for the exchange of ideas and information – proving to be an excellent way for continuous learning.
There are multiple reasons why we would be motivated to participate in networked publics. A few such reasons include increasing learning opportunities and professional growth. The social media platforms listed above, give users a system where they can engage with people who have similar or higher level of expertise. This allows them to expand their learning as well as their professional growth. Moreover, it allows them to be exposed to diverse people, giving them access to new perspectives.
Lastly, when it comes to public communication, there are a number of rewards and risks associated with it. One includes the opportunity to expand your professional network. By actively putting yourself out there amidst others, job opportunities or collaboration in some form can knock at your door. If not for job opportunities, other rewards include expanding your knowledge. Being around people who know much more about a specific subject matter, can teach you a lot about things that you never knew before. On the contrary, there are also many risks involved. The main risk include privacy concerns. Sharing information in public spaces increases the risk of an individual to privacy risks. Thus, it is crucial you are cautious on how much and what type of information is shared publicly. Another risk is being overburdened from the information available. There is so much information available that may cause you to be overwhelmed. Hence, it is essential to sift through the content of your interest and to validate your sources.