As educators we’re usually concerned with how our students “learn”, and this concern is often operationalized as what “information” are kids getting? So the previous ideas of the networked student are apt in this context. However as recent work by Mimi Ito and colleagues suggest, youth are using social media in significant ways outside of the classroom. In fact, they are interacting via these media platforms outside of school than within…

This trend leads many to suggest that social media is more of a socialization and flirting tool rather than an educational tool. So the question remains, why would social media influence one’s academic life? And why would educators want to incorporate things like social networking or twitter into their own classrooms?

I think one avenue research should go down, is to look at how social media influences “peer effects” or “peer influence”. A lot of education research finds that your peer groups influence your academic behaviors (getting good grades, cutting class etc.). As students interact more intensely via social media, how are they influencing each other in school? Perhaps seeing Facebook status messages of your friends, saying they are studying for tomorrow’s test, influences you to also want to study a bit. These simple social markers are powerful social forces; that’s my hypothesis anyway (and the focus of my dissertation).

As we answer these questions, educators might better understand how they might use social media to better guide students on a day-to-day basis. The future question is whether teachers want to have this day-to-day connection with students, and whether students will accept adults into their online worlds (without exiting and moving on to another platform).