Personal reflection
If I going to be completely candid, when I signed up for INF506 – Social networking for information professionals, I was dubious about the subject but as it was only one of the few options available to me for the summer session it was either that or delay the completion of my course by another semester. This was not an option in my mind, so I embarked upon the subject despite my apprehensions. I have been pleasantly surprised by this subject and its content, and I have really enjoyed the journey of growing my understanding of being a social networker within the context of an information professional. Being close to the finish line for my degree, and already working in a library, the biggest appeal for me about this subject has been around the practicality and relevancy of the topics and themes covered.
As a part of the Generation X cohort, I have been fortunate to grow up along many technologies and social media as they have evolved and have always been open to learning and in engaging in them. I remember when Facebook came online and how it was embraced by my generation without hesitation. For me especially, as I had moved overseas around the time of Facebook’s inception, it was a great channel to connect with people back home but also a great way to build community with my new “friends”. However, in recent years I have, at a personal level, shied away from social media and networking as it is something that takes up too much time and actually takes away from genuine in-person connections when as a society we are all glued to our devices. As Danish (2023, April 25) points out, social media can be a ‘major time sink’ and stepping away from it can allow you to be more social as you more motivated to meet up with others, build connections when you are not constantly being stimulated by social media. In addition to the hours lost on social media, there exist privacy concerns and alarm bells start ringing when I observe people not demonstrating good digital citizenship when engaging in social media. As Cruze (2024, January 5) discusses in their Online Learning Journal (OJL) post, one’s digital footprint never washes away and this is alarming because, as Me and My Shadow (n.d.) point out, once our digital traces or shadows are out in the digital world, they are no longer in our control. In a post COVID-19 era, when using social media and social networking technologies was the only option available to connect with others outside my household, it has become even less valuable to me. However, studying this subject has reiterated to me the importance that social media plays in our current climate and the value it has the potential to bring to both individuals and organisations. Without access to social media or the skills to access it, it is likely that individuals will experience a level of exclusion from society. For information organisations, not engaging in social media and creating an online presence has the potential to result in lost opportunities to engage with current users and to attract the non-users to their spaces.
Throughout this subject I have been able to research and explore many topics around the topic of social networking with the lens of an information professional and this has led to greater understanding of the role of social media the role it plays in my chosen career path. The extended post-exercise and my selected topic of social and personal/professional boundaries highlighted to me, not for the first time, how important boundary practice is and whilst this specific post was related to personal/professional boundaries in social media practice, the concepts are applicable beyond social media. In reviewing others who completed the same extended post topic, McDonald (2024) and Gee (2024), it is clear that boundary practice in social media is crucial to maintaining personal/professional boundaries within information organisation to ensure that users, employees, and the organisation are safeguarded for unwanted consequences and risks associated with social media.
Studying this subject has changed my thinking about social media within a professional realm. As someone has previously viewed social media platform as an evil enterprise who draw people in, try to sell them goods and never lets them out, I am aware and acknowledge that social media also has many potential benefits. In order to identify these benefits at a professional level, organisations must research and plan the use of social media and not just jump on the bandwagon because everyone else is doing so. As information professionals, we are a profession well-versed in researching and making choices that are ethical and align with librarianship values; when it comes to social media, this is no different.
The future of social media is unknown. Questions to consider are whether it will continue to grow and if yes, will Facebook continue to dominate? Or will TikTok with its catchy videos take over the world? Or will Elon Musk and X become our go to for social connections, networking and finding information? As we do not have a crystal ball or the ability to foresee the future, only time will. However, as information professionals we will be ready to embrace the change because as it has been discussed by those that completed the activity OJL 8: Defining information professionals in the digital era for their blog posts (Arthur-Smith, 2024; Hon, 2024; Leung, 2023; Serobian, 2023; Tornabene, 2023), what clearly stands out is that information professionals are adaptable, ethical, willing to learn and possess growth mindsets and a willingness to engage in and promote new and ever evolving technology. Remember when they said that libraries were dead when the internet came online? Well, here we still are today, flourishing and supporting our communities with not only their information needs but also their technology learning needs, including social media, so that they can access information in the digital era. Information professionals have demonstrated over and over again throughout history their ability to embrace change and I believe that in an era of social networking we will continue to do to ensure that the people can access the information they need and want and what they do not even now they need or want. That is the beauty of seeking assistance from an information professional!
Word cunt – 1,058
REFERENCES
Arthur-Smith, K. (2024, January 18). OLJ 8 : Navigating the digital frontier: Essential traits of information professionals. Teacher Librarian https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kathleenarthursmith/
Cruze, G. (2024, January 5). OLJ 5: The role of social media policies – Managing your digital identity. Social Networking for Information Professionals https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/socialnetworkinginfopros/2024/01/05/module-5-reflection/?fbclid=IwAR2_7iVMIPCohLZhzc4nRIHtmL5zEZNg7zQBNtC4L4U5-lhylzGhNJnrct0
Danish, A. G. (2023, April 25). The benefits of quitting social media: 11 reasons to give it a try Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-quitting-social-media-11-reasons-give-try-a-g-danish#:~:text=Ironically%2C%20quitting%20social%20media%20can,conversations%2C%20and%20build%20deeper%20connections.
Gee, K. (2024, January 19). INF506 Assessment 2 part 2 – Extended post. . Mrs Gee’s Learning Journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/geeslearningjourney/2024/01/19/153/
Hon, Y. (2024, January 14). OLJ task 8: Defining information professional in the digital era. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/inf506hyh/2024/01/14/olj-task8-defining-information-professional-in-the-digital-era/
Leung, K. (2023, December 14). OLJ task 8: Defining information professional in the digital era. My Learning Journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mylearningjourney/2023/12/14/oljtask-8-defining-information-professional-in-the-digital-era/
McDonald, W. (2024, January 20). Part 2: Extended post – Social media and personal/professional boundaries. INF506. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/wendymcdonald/2024/01/20/part-2-extended-post-social-media-and-personal-professional-boundaries/
Me and My Shadow. (n.d.). What are digital traces? https://myshadow.org/
PickPik. (n.d). Person holding clear glass ball [Photograph]. https://i1.pickpik.com/photos/461/417/182/social-media-icon-hand-keep-preview.jpg
Serobian, K. (2023, December 26). OLJ task 8: Defining information professional in the digital era. Kristina’s Learning Journal. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kristina/2023/12/26/olj-task-8-defining-information-professional-in-the-digital-era/
Tornabene, T. (2023, December 20). OLJ task 8: Defining information professionals in the digital era. Tyrone Tornabene’s INF506 Reflective Blog. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/tyronetornabeneinf506/