Linked In or Hooked To?

LinkedIn is one of the greatest sites to participate in for business and professional connections. This website not only helps put your name out there, but helps you meet and market with people all over the world! LinkedIn has become a very important tool not just in the business world, but in classrooms as well. LinkedIn has become a place where students attending universities can upload their resumes, work experiences, education level, etc. for future employers to see. As well, LinkedIn can be programmed to help you look for specific jobs in certain fields, areas, salaries, and so on. 

In my Professional Business Communication class my professor assigned each student to create a fully functional LinkedIn. While we completed the task at hand to earn credits and pass the class, it truly turned into something so much more important. LinkedIn became my platform when I was searching for an internship. Although I did not end up choosing any, I was offered many opportunities to intern at local companies. Even when you aren't consistently using this site you will continue to get messages and searches from other people. This marketing and publication of yourself can help you reach hundreds of potential employers every week!

In terms of learning in general, the internet can both help and hinder an individual. As previously stated, using social media sites to promote yourself, expand your business, or gain new contacts is a tremendous benefit. This helps you learn how to advertise yourself in a professional setting. This also teachers you about opportunities and gives you a better chance at earning success.

However, the Internet can also be a very dangerous place-especially for students. Anyone can post information on the internet, whether it is correct or not. A huge trend right now is social media influencers. These individuals get paid to promote food, clothing, healthcare supplements, etc. Most kids are extremely impressionable and fall victim to the "credible" source at hand. As well, sites like Wikipedia can be very dangerous. Although this website has improved tremendously, it is still open for anyone to post on. This results in information that is not concrete in accuracy.

The internet can positively provide learning through certain apps and websites. Blackboard has become an extremely important tool for students and professors. Blackboard makes assignments, lectures, and readings accessible at all times of the day in any location. This provides information with the touch of a button whether you are on campus, on a plane, or out of state. There are other virtual classroom type websites that have benefited the learning process. A majority of science classes now use virtual labs to help students learn outside of the classroom. As well, learning a second language has become possible to anyone with a laptop or phone! In this regard the internet triumphs in its ability to promote learning.

A huge factor that decreases the internet's success is distraction. Although the internet is home to millions and millions of scholarly research, professional input, etc. many students stray from this. The internet is largely used for social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Even during class lectures you will find the majority of the class on some other web page that has nothing to do with the class.

So overall I think that the Internet can both be helpful in learning and detrimental to learning. I think when it is used as a tool for online homework, scholarly articles, and legitimate websites it is one of the greatest technological advances in a student's life. But when the internet becomes a source for pure distraction or is being used with peripheral cues instead of central learning, it can be harmful to a student. As with anything else in life- moderation is key! Being an active listener in class and making yourself present is the best way to truly learn. Having hands on experience and asking questions may seem old-fashioned, but that is how knowledge truly gets integrated into the mind!