Blog #3 – PLN, Inclusion, and Community Engagement

How does social media use in public discourse potentially challenge advocacy communications?

There are plenty of benefits with advocacy on social media platforms however, there are also various challenges. Social media allows user to spread their message to many groups of people quickly but, this also means that misinformation can spread just as quickly. Some social media platforms have adapted a functionality that flags possible misinformation or possible biased, this functionality is called fact check. Users will see a on a post for example; a badge that says fact checkers have this to say about the content and it will proceed to say why they flagged it.  

How diverse is your existing PLN?

My PLN includes information related to healthcare and health information technology. I took the course EDCI 339 and from that course, I made an Instagram account to build my PLN. I followed mainly health authorities and some Canadian health organizations. The information is diverse from each other in terms of new ideas and innovation however, it is all related to each other. My current PLN is mainly containing people living in Canada or who have an interest in the Canadian healthcare field and primarily B.C. Having a more diverse PLN can be very beneficial to hear alternate views and introduce ideas that you may have not thought about before. I believe that in my PLN it is encouraged to invite inclusion to improve healthcare in B.C. we need many voices to engage on how we can improve what we do. 

In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices?

I follow a variety of health authorities in B.C. and Canadian health technology organizations (such as; digital health Canada) that consistently update on new information. I do particularly like when accounts leave a link in their bio for the information they shared in their post. 

How does social media engage in advocacy communications?

Social media is a great way to reach a mass of people very quickly in any part of the world. It can be a clamorous way to spread information about a cause. It can promote discussion, reinforcing relationships between supporters among union leaders and supporters.