“Why Teachers Should Be Aware Of What’s Being Shared On  Social Media”

Social Media, these two ringing words, are of great impact not only on our way of thinking but also on the way we live and not only on adults but on the majority of teens.

From a teacher’s point of view, it’s been proved that our students or teens in general use social media at higher rates than older generations. It has become their alternative life. They shape it the way they want. They create ideal and strong profiles which hide their weaknesses and failures. They feel safe and at ease in expressing themselves; a thing which they cannot do in their real life.

They are ahead of us in exploring all aspects of Social Media, from reading, reacting to posts by commenting or liking, sharing content, chatting and even playing online games. Therefore it has become their second home and we won’t be exaggerating if we say their first one. Most of the time, they act in a way there’s no dividing line between the two lives. For them their virtual life is a real one. The net in general has completely changed their life; it’s a fact which should be taken into consideration by teachers and social experts.

Whether scrolling facebook/twitter feed, sharing pictures on instagram or sending snapchats, our students spend most of their day on their mobile phones. They have developed a total dependency on social media and they have become creative, innovative and more aware of what’s going on either in their surroundings or elsewhere. They have trespassed all the frontiers and involved in many virtual activities.

When students are deprived of their smart phones in class, teachers think that they have solved the problem, yet what goes on social media shouldn’t be ignored. For a teacher, it’s of paramount importance to check and follow what’s being shared and what’s being reacted to the most; because a single and a strange move, action or even a sound in class might have many connotations.

A full understanding of students’ reactions and responses obliges us to follow what’s being shared on social media; otherwise, your students would use your innocence and your ignorance to lead you to be part in a game or even in a challenge without knowing that you are a victim in a crime scene which is your class.

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