My knowledge has developed regarding social media and social networking value. Social media is an essential feature in one’s life, with more social media sites evolving to facilitate interactions. This contact enhances one’s knowledge in particular disciplines and professional skills advancement. The social network is created via social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, allowing individuals to establish links, develop their knowledge foundation, and advance themselves professionally via continual learning (Gutierrez n.p). Users aim to practice the ideas or refine personal and professional growth. Personal professional networks are sites where discussions and dialogues can happen, permitting individual learning (Qualman 7). As a result, implicit knowledge is created via experience and reflection and exchanged via social contact with others.

Another area I have focused on is digital identity, the information on computer networks that represents external parties. It relates to a person’s presence online, encompassing what they post and share. Digital identify approaches are of two types. Personal approaches make people post and share content that differentiates them from others founded on their beliefs and characters. By contrast, professional digital identity techniques result in online interactions that represent a person’s professional self-concept. Digital identities join in the networked public via crucial selves, which introduce social media standards, thereby affecting identity practices (Qualman 17). An essential digital identity element is privacy. This guarantees that other uses access only the information that a particular subscriber wants them to see.

Subsequently, the hint to developing a successful PLN is aligning oneself with the right persons. The right individuals can offer diverse views, present disruptive ideas and thoughts, and are enthusiastic about emerging issues. I would exploit Twitter to attain my aims since it is a remarkable resource and social platform customized for discussions. It permits me to have links with different people from different national origins and live in different time zones (Hermida 5). Further, Twitter presents a positive context for me to socialize with friends and the social public. As a result, I perceive that Twitter would be the resource for establishing my PLN. I would follow industry experts and professionals that I know. I would also pursue their respective following lists since they are likely to follow people who would provide me with similar insights and experience. Moreover, I would scheme through their profiles to note the hashtags they use and utilize them to develop my PLN (Gutierrez n.p). Next, I would engage with my PLN by commenting on existing chats. Secondly, I would say my view on individuals’ posts in my PLN, asking questions and recognizing good points. These actions would help build relationships since they would indicate my participation invaluable conversations. Generally, I would remain proactive and respectful to develop reputation and trust within the PLN.

I also intend to reflect on how social media engage in advocacy communications. Social media is an instrumental device for engaging in advocacy communications. Social networking platforms such as Twitter offer creative instruments such as hashtags for empowering people towards a common policy (Gutierrez n.p). Simultaneously, advocacy can be developed by establishing PLNs on social media outlets. For instance, the education sector is among the most impacted sectors as COVID-19 intimidated teachers and learners’ lives in classroom contexts. I engaged with teachers and other advocators in a hashtag called RemoteLearning, which improved my thoughts. Aside from that, social media has recently become common with billions of subscribers globally. Different sites, such as Pinterest, YouTube, and SnapChat, attract many people. Consequently, building strong PLNs can be difficult. However, commentators and influencers can substantially strengthen the possibilities of creating a reliable PLN outlet on social media to encourage advocacy communication.

Another issue to explore is the changes to journalism in the current social media era. Social media is a game-changer in how people interact and exchange information. Engaging with a public audience in a media domain widens an individual’s network and opens a path for enhanced ideas (Hermida 9). However, an open communication policy associated with social media use encourages misconceptions and criticisms from others. Hirst noted that social media will flourish in the gig economy since it enables people to express themselves on multiple topics without being limited by institutional policies (13).

I also want to recognize PLNs’ vital role in education discourses. These linkages facilitate interpersonal relations and nurture social connections, critical requirements for open and trusting talks. PLNs also encourage affiliation and attraction among students from different communities. PLNs also increase awareness educational opportunities since they serve as sites where students meet and convey issues, resulting in their resolution (Gutierrez n.p). Similarly, social media play extensive roles in education. For instance, social networks expedite seamless communications among students. They also enhance content sharing via audiovisual and print formats.

I also want to reflect on media literacy and its importance. Media literacy is the individual who can use their knowledge and learning and amend learning and information with the digital media resources. The person uses the media creation instruments to conduct the effective communication items. The concept is significant because of its particularity. It is the outlet and platform enabling people to communicate more effectively and learn insights faster (Bulger and Davison 11). Another important is that having a PLN that values media literacy offers different learning styles and people more detailed content information.

Finally, by learning PLN, I understood and established the critical elements in modeling a personal resume via the Internet and disclosing myself and sharing information. PLN will facilitate learning and professional growth. Additionally, people can apply PLN to collaborate and communicate on different social networking sites to refine professional expertise. I would use PLN interactions to manage my confidentiality and privacy settings online to sustain a profession-based digital existence. Moreover, by building PLN online, I will connect with different people who offer knowledge and expertise that improve my economic course practice. PLN offers several professional advancement opportunities, lifelong learning, and critical reflection. I have established robust networks from various professional teams specialized in economics. I will use PLN links to reinforce my digital identity post-term by effectively administering personal relationships and technological involvement.

Works Cited

Bulger, Monica, and Patrick Davison. “The promises, challenges, and futures of media literacy.” Journal of Media Literacy Education, vol. 10, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-21.

Gutierrez, Karla. “What Are Personal Learning Networks?”. Shift: Disruptive Learning, 2016, www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks. Accessed April 3 2021.

Hermida, Alfred. Tell Everyone: Why We Share and Why it Matters. Anchor Canada, 2016.

Hirst, Martin. Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism. Routledge, 2018.

Qualman, Erik. Digital Leader. 5 Simple Keys to Success & Influence Ch. 16. McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2012.