One of the questions that we were asked to reflect on from our first module was – What makes a social tool useful? – Is it to be connected? to stay current? to build a social network? to engage in learning?
After learning from six social media modules my answer would be YES to all of these.
A social media tool is useful when it allows users to connect with others and the world. Building a network and creating interconnected links with others is the basis of social media. A two way interaction is needed. This connection allows participants to engage in learning. They can learn from each other to build on their previous knowledge. This learning process can allow for collaboration to occur and thus creating something new.
A social tool is useful when it allows users to stay current. In this day in age information is always changing. It is important to always keep on track of new technologies and developments because news gets old quickly. If a tool allows currency then it is successful.
A social tool is useful when it fulfills a users needs. This means that users should be able to relate, use and apply the tool to their lives. The tool should make life easier for the user or fill some purpose compared to adding to the information overload already flooding people’s lives. If a user can recognize the affordances of a social tool and know how to apply them then the tool’s usefulness is accomplished. What is the point of a tool that is not useful?
A social tool is useful when many people use it. The tool’s usefulness increases when multiple people use it. This creates the network of people needed to participate and grow the body of knowledge shared on the social tool’s platform. This relates back to the tool being useful if it has the capacity to build a network. A tool is only useful when we make it useful and this occurs when the tool allows learning.