Blog Post #1

When I think about times that social media has supported my learning, one of the first examples that comes to mind is when I was preparing for my first co-op placement. I went on LinkedIn, not just to search for jobs, but also as a space to follow health authorities, professional organizations, and even individual analysts who were working in digital health. What worked well was the way this opened up a new stream of information that was relevant to my field of study. Articles, policy updates, and personal reflections from professionals gave me a much better sense of how concepts from my Health Information Science courses translated to real-world solutions. Searching through LinkedIn felt like an informal class where I could observe how others viewed and applied the same ideas I was learning in school.

This kind of networked learning also motivated me to reflect on my own social media presence. By seeing how professionals described their experiences and shared their projects, I began to think more critically about how I was presenting myself online. It also built my confidence in what I have learned throughout my years in school, because I was able to participate in a broader conversation about digital health rather than just keeping my learning within my school assignments and lectures.

Using social media as a learning tool also came with challenges. One was the overload amount of information available. Because of the abudance of informationit made it overwhelming to search for sepcific topics that interetsed me. Another challenge was comparison, when I saw peers or professionals with more experience, it was easy to feel like I wasn’t doing enough. I had to remind myself that social media presents a specific version of people’s careers, and my own path doesn’t need to look the exact same.

Despite the challenges I faced, I also see real value in using social media for learning. Social media is not just about consuming information, but also participating in a networked public where knowledge is shared. By critically and selectively engaging in information, I can both benefit from the experiences of others and contribute my own perspective. This has shaped my understanding of networked learning as something that happens not just in classrooms, but across digital spaces where professionals, students, and educators meet.