Wow & Wonder – Week 2

Wow – I thought it was interesting how the authors of both articles suggested PLNs as a learning tool to make up for the poor adaptability of government and educational institutions. Up until recently, I had largely considered social media as a means of connecting with family, friends, and acquaintances – sure, there has always been information of all forms floating around on fb, IG, Twitter, etc, but I never considered it as a substitute or meaningful supplement to traditional learning environments like universities. To claim that the majority of our learning comes from PLNs rather than classroom settings is news to me.

Wonder – With the above suggestion that our PLNs can be valuable sources of learning that can quickly pivot in response to societal changes, I can’t help but wonder if placing such great focus on these information streams brings a subtle yet serious threat of unintentional (or intentional) misuse. Is there not a danger in being able to almost completely curate the information that we are exposed to? Does this not undermine the likelihood of developing a well-rounded perspective on controversial issues? Intentional or not, social media users will surround themselves with and participate in communities that hold values/beliefs similar to their own. These have come to be known as echo chambers and are particularly dangerous in the spread of misinformation. We have seen this in the increasingly polarized political landscape of the United States/Canada, as well as the acceptance of public health guidance/advice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am not disagreeing that PLNs offer amazing advancements in interconnectedness and overall learning, however, I think this point needs to be balanced with the caution that not all information garnered from a PLN is necessarily accurate or trustworthy. The post-secondary experience provides students with a critical lens through which to assess the quality and accuracy of information we are exposed to throughout our lives. The value of this skill cannot be overstated and it should not be overlooked when advocating for PLNs in today’s world.