1. What is Research?
I have always viewed research as a method of discovery. Many times when I think of research I think of people trying to find solutions to complicated questions, since that is a lot of what scientific research does, and thus I am most familiar with it. However I am coming to find that research is rather an investigative process of knowledge--you can investigate a new solution to a problem, or simply investigate into a topic to learn more about it.
I selected the article titled "Using TikTok and Instagram, college students push the science behind covid vaccines" by Susan Svrluga, a reporter for the Washington Post specializing in higher education stories. I chose to read this one because I do tend to see a lot of information being spread around social media, like through Instagram posts and stories, and I was interested in seeing what aspects of social media the students used to spread the science behind covid vaccines.
The article talked about multiple students' different efforts to educate their peers about the covid vaccine through social media. The reason for using social media? "'Most people my age don’t typically spend a lot of time reading true scientific literature,' [Jordan] said. 'They really look at what’s on their social media, and that influences the way we feel'” (Svrluga, 2021). The connections and convenience of social media makes it a popular news source, but the huge amass of users means misinformation can spread like wildfire. That's why these students took it upon themselves to do the research to make scientifically accurate posts to send the right message to people. Professor Anna Song from UC Davis said, "'there’s an advantage to having the message come from a classmate. It subtly tells students this is a social norm,' she said, signaling 'this is what we’re hoping for in our age group'...'Young people know how young people think'" (Svrluga, 2021). Having a similar mindset to their classmates, these students would be able to best effectively deliver information to their classmates, having undergone similar experiences at the same age.
From this article, I learned of the importance of how research is the best way to stay informed. If the students didn't do research to learn more about vaccines, side effects, or pros/cons of vaccines, it could leave more students misinformed and biased. I also learned that social media can be a really effective platform for getting information from, since it is so easy to connect with anybody in the world through it--however because of the sheer prevalence of misinformation I still think that it is very important to get additional information from other, more reliable sources.
Replies:
Hi [], you make a really interesting point in the last paragraph and I do definitely agree that technology has two sides to it. I think social media/technology does have really potent power in promoting creativity and confidence-- I imagine thousands of small businesses whose products I see on my Instagram explore, or different artworks that I see while scrolling that inspire me when I create my own art. Social media has created a huge platform where creators can be discovered and it has the power to change peoples' lives. However I do agree that the potence of social media has its downsides--monitoring actions, extreme data collection, training algorithms for engagement, and I feel like that comes from the nature of a huge company wanting to keep their users engaged so they can earn more money and grow.
Hi []! Although I did not read this article, I do remember hearing about dwell time since I watched the Social Dilemma documentary. You gave a great and detailed summary of some of the main points in the article that relate to what you learned! I dislike how the algorithm takes note of dwell time because looking at a post for longer definitely does not correlate to liking the content more. However the "not interested" feature for instagram posts and reels is very helpful so I can sort out the content that I don't want to see. Like you though, I wish it was more accessible.
I selected the article titled "Using TikTok and Instagram, college students push the science behind covid vaccines" by Susan Svrluga, a reporter for the Washington Post specializing in higher education stories. I chose to read this one because I do tend to see a lot of information being spread around social media, like through Instagram posts and stories, and I was interested in seeing what aspects of social media the students used to spread the science behind covid vaccines.
The article talked about multiple students' different efforts to educate their peers about the covid vaccine through social media. The reason for using social media? "'Most people my age don’t typically spend a lot of time reading true scientific literature,' [Jordan] said. 'They really look at what’s on their social media, and that influences the way we feel'” (Svrluga, 2021). The connections and convenience of social media makes it a popular news source, but the huge amass of users means misinformation can spread like wildfire. That's why these students took it upon themselves to do the research to make scientifically accurate posts to send the right message to people. Professor Anna Song from UC Davis said, "'there’s an advantage to having the message come from a classmate. It subtly tells students this is a social norm,' she said, signaling 'this is what we’re hoping for in our age group'...'Young people know how young people think'" (Svrluga, 2021). Having a similar mindset to their classmates, these students would be able to best effectively deliver information to their classmates, having undergone similar experiences at the same age.
From this article, I learned of the importance of how research is the best way to stay informed. If the students didn't do research to learn more about vaccines, side effects, or pros/cons of vaccines, it could leave more students misinformed and biased. I also learned that social media can be a really effective platform for getting information from, since it is so easy to connect with anybody in the world through it--however because of the sheer prevalence of misinformation I still think that it is very important to get additional information from other, more reliable sources.
Replies:
Hi [], you make a really interesting point in the last paragraph and I do definitely agree that technology has two sides to it. I think social media/technology does have really potent power in promoting creativity and confidence-- I imagine thousands of small businesses whose products I see on my Instagram explore, or different artworks that I see while scrolling that inspire me when I create my own art. Social media has created a huge platform where creators can be discovered and it has the power to change peoples' lives. However I do agree that the potence of social media has its downsides--monitoring actions, extreme data collection, training algorithms for engagement, and I feel like that comes from the nature of a huge company wanting to keep their users engaged so they can earn more money and grow.
Hi []! Although I did not read this article, I do remember hearing about dwell time since I watched the Social Dilemma documentary. You gave a great and detailed summary of some of the main points in the article that relate to what you learned! I dislike how the algorithm takes note of dwell time because looking at a post for longer definitely does not correlate to liking the content more. However the "not interested" feature for instagram posts and reels is very helpful so I can sort out the content that I don't want to see. Like you though, I wish it was more accessible.