PURPOSE, VALUE, AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The prevalence of social media has led to people of all ages experiencing a phenomenon known as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) should they go a week, day, or even hour without keeping up with the social media worlds. Technically, social media refer to those media outlets or apps that allow users to interface with each other for social purposes. Many people use the phrase “social media” in reference to any connections they have with others via the Internet or email. By contrast, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter often use messages that are meant to be shared with others, hence the “social” aspect of the phrase. The goal of any institution of higher education resides in its ability to teach and learn from others with a particular set of stakeholders-students. Social media use is one prominent and useful approach to connecting with others; most stakeholders are embracing and using social media on a daily basis.