Introduction

What makes us human? One feature is collective learning. In other words, we share knowledge. Such networks of knowledge have even grown across human history. In 1969, the size and speed of knowledge sharing took a giant leap. Researchers created a digital network called ARPANET. It was the beginning of the Internet.

Today, more than half the world is online. Anyone with a smartphone or other computing device can connect with people around the world. But is this good or bad? And what happens to the people who are offline?

“You” on social media

Your phone alarm wakes you. You check your Instagram. How many likes did you get while you were sleeping? How many people looked at your post? Did anyone message you? Next, you check your Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever new social network everyone just started using. Across the globe millions of people are doing the exact same thing.

These social networks have been around less than twenty years. For many people, though, it is hard to remember life before them. They affect almost every part of our day.

Social media: connecting people around the world

Social media and the Internet have incredible power. They connect people around the world. Music is a good example. In 2012, the song “Gangnam Style” went viral. Korean rapper, Psy, produced this YouTube video. The catchy music and amusing dancing won a worldwide audience. It received one billion views. The Internet also connects musicians from distant lands. It allows them to work together to create new styles.

Social media lets us create “virtual” communities, too. Facebook is the most famous example. The company was launched in 2004. It has become an online platform with many uses. Companies advertise on Facebook. People use it to organize concerts and parties. People around the world can call each other on Facebook Messenger.

Similar social media apps serve many purposes. They help people with shared interests find each other. They also let people share their creativity. Users can post photographs and art. Friends and strangers can then view them. They can also express their opinions about it. Online dating apps have even changed how people find love.

Organizing through social media

Apps also have been used for political organizing. In 2010, there were protests in the Middle East. They became known as the Arab Spring. The protestors planned their protests on Twitter and Facebook.

In the United States, Twitter has helped build movements, too. Activists use hashtags (#) to rally people to a cause. In 2013, organizers launched BlackLivesMatter. It protested the racism black people experience. The movement grew, online and off. Such apps gave voices to people the media often had ignored.

Social media clearly has a dark side

These benefits are not available to everyone. There is a “digital divide.” In short, some people have easy access to technology. Many others do not. Those without internet are cut off from its benefits.

Social media, though, can also be used to divide us. It may even trigger violence. Here’s one example. In Sri Lanka, there were growing tensions between Muslims and Buddhists. Messages appeared on Facebook. They called for the murder of Muslim people. People were attacked and killed. Experts say the violent online messages helped cause the violence.

In politics, social media has been used to play dirty tricks. In 2018, reporters investigated Cambridge Analytica. It was a political consulting company. It had secretly collected data from 87 million Facebook users. This information was then used to influence elections. Groups sent misleading messages to voters. They affected how people voted.

A world together, or worlds apart?

Social networks affect us personally, too. They show parts of our private lives to the world. Selfies are a good example. Sometimes people post these photos online, hoping for approval. Research, though, shows selfies can affect self-esteem. They may feel good or bad depending on how many likes they get. Young people are especially affected.

Social networks can make us feel lonelier, as well. Some people spend all day on their phones. They rely on apps to relate to others. Less and less, they meet friends “irl.”¹ How does that affect us? We have less contact with real people. We learn less from each other. We learn less about each other, too. In time, we may not trust each other as much.

What is the future of our networks? And of collective learning? Maybe you will play a role in answering these questions.

1 In social media, irl means “in real life.” If you needed a footnote to tell you that, then you have not given up real life connections for social media. That’s gr8.