Social media evolved from "new tools" into an integral part of everyday practices. It seems that a given achievement is no longer sufficient on its own, one must also make it public and announce how thrilled they are to share their milestone with others.
While exuding success may impress HR and 'likes' stimulate our dopamine, the constant exposure to other people's achievements online can also be a dragging experience, fueling anxiety and the imposter syndrome - ever-relevant to academia.
Moreover, online visibility can stretch to other extremes and lead to personal harm for researchers when they suddenly fall target to online rage and retaliation for whatever perceived offence.
On 17 October, in a highly interactive workshop for Usta Mentorship, I addressed the ins and outs of social media use for academics, focusing on the pros and cons of visibility.
We started with a general discussion of whether or not to use social media, moving on to the discussion about various platforms available for academics and finishing with some tailored strategies for online visibility (for instance, around job search periods).
Some key points:
What might academics need online visibility for?
●To deliver our message to larger audiences
●To inform people beyond academia
●To spotlight issues we are passionate about
●To enhance our academic profile
●To connect with others
●To feel good
●To get a job
Things to keep in mind:
●Craft each message
●Don’t sound like Chat GPT
●Don’t over post, people will mute you
●Don’t over-consume, online presence is a means and not the goal
●Don’t over-speculate with emotions - people might turn off
●Don’t fall for the vicious circle - you don't need to constantly be informed
●Consider the times when you post something - algorithms are tricky
Risks to be mindful of:
●Everything you say is permanently available and can be used against you
●Issues of safety – your own and that of your informants/subjects of study
Other cons:
●Information overload - use it when you need it. Otherwise, mute the noise.
●FOMO/Anxiety- everyone's journey is unique, don't look at others. If it stresses you out, mute it.
●Imposter syndrome - truth is, even those people smiling at you with a new LinkedIn announcement have it. You are good enough.
●Procrastination - a lot of the online experience is illusional. Focus on the tangible things. White and do research. Use leisure screen time as a reward, only after something has been written.
Comments