Social Media Education

Ryan Jordan's social media education talk posits that our social networks offer learning potential.

Jordan's experience with social media began as a blog that listed his mother as its only follower. However, his knowledge expanded the more time he spent on the Internet, and so did his follower count, growing to an impressive 23 thousand. These followers are not merely a number on a page, but a collection of individuals that each possess a unique culture, religion and narrative. These individuals form a web of knowledge in which everyone involved is able to contribute and receive immediate feedback. Jordan has used his networks to educate himself on topics regarding feminism. For instance, he's educated himself on how ingrained social practices, such as slut-shaming, emphasize rape culture by encouraging victim-blaming.

Beyond general knowledge, Jordan has been amazed at the capacity that social media has to spread love, acceptance and tolerance. For every unjustified hate comment, there are many more that stand up to it. Overall, he firmly believes that social media can offer us a way to learn more about ourselves, as well as the culture around us.