By Tooba Takreem S
Social media gained popularity around the turn of the century primarily as a platform to share photos and life updates and as a way of connecting with friends. Evolving gradually, it also became a source of entertainment featuring creative skits, engaging posts, and more. While it has also been a place of information exchange alongside other activities, recent times have witnessed a boom in the spread of academic information on social media. It has opened the doors of knowledge to netizens, making accessible niche information from across various disciplines. The bite-sized videos, particularly in the form of Instagram Reels, have come to present something as an instant classroom for the users.
While most users are accused of ‘doom-scrolling’ – passively scrolling through posts for long durations, some others scroll mindfully, consuming knowledge about their fields of interest made available at their fingertips. Academically inclined, this involves well-researched, in-depth knowledge of varied subjects like history, literature, art, philosophy, and physical sciences. For example, a large number of posts have brought to the surface the works of foreign authors like Franz Kafka and Fyodor Dostoevsky, who are known for their difficult themes. Breaking down the essence of their works, this kind of content has incited intellectuals to access their works further. Philosophy, generally considered to be an esoteric field, is made accessible on social media, with philosophers like Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche in the limelight. Another refreshing sight is the appreciation for poetry among the youth. People knowledgeable in the language and subject simplify it, making it easier to grasp for those who cannot appreciate it readily.
There appears to be a great number of appreciators for art and architecture on the internet. Platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube have made artistic and architectural content accessible beyond museums and galleries. Scholars of these disciplines have taken to unveiling the meaning behind works of art, focusing on techniques and such niceties. Aesthetically appealing and rich in intellectual depth, a domain hard to explore otherwise has invited the interest of many through such posts. These posts encourage curiosity about cultures and civilizations. Hence, this type of content has led to learning of that history, which is not taught in actual classrooms. These instances point towards a cultural revival when culture seemed to be on the brink of losing to technology.
It may be said that the instant classroom of social media has found intentional learners that a traditional classroom does not always produce. Given the declining attention span among the users of social media, the bite-sized content allows knowledge to reach large masses without much hassle. While the short, plain lectures do capture some attention, the use of graphics and visual aids has made the content more engaging and digestible. It has helped people discover an interest in subjects that they, otherwise, do not have an opportunity to explore. It also allows people with similar interests to find each other and form communities, ensuring that learning and sharing of knowledge continues as a shared process.
Apart from the recreational learning and sharing of academic information on social media, it is also a useful medium for students and research scholars. Studies have shown that numerous social media platforms are used in academia. They support traditional publications, improve networking, and help disseminate research. A study by Eid and Al-Jabri discussed how the Internet has evolved, with social networking sites transforming from a technical hub for socialisation to an educational, economic, and social administrative agency.
The apparent benefits of social media in acquiring knowledge are accompanied by its share of drawbacks. As the users get accustomed to consuming information on numerous topics in a short span of time, the retention of the information declines. Moreover, this quick consumption is not followed by personal study, resulting in incomplete understanding. The lack of knowledge is a disservice to academia. Additionally, learning is rendered ‘performative’, as is everything else on social media. When the unreliability of social media as a space for learning is discussed, the nail in the coffin is the false attribution of ideas to great personalities for the purpose of views and likes. This creates a general air of scepticism and hinders genuine efforts to share and learn.
It is no secret that social media is a double-edged sword. While it is not clear if the pros or the cons outweigh the other, social media has, undoubtedly, become a platform for sharing knowledge in an appealing way. Not only does it make niche information readily accessible, but it also allows people to discover new interests. Serious pursuers may even channel their interest in a productive way.
