I enjoy using Reddit for my social media consumption. I find the format to be a more supportive, technology-focused community than other social media platforms. Most of what I follow is not very substantive to me professionally or for my personal growth, so I set out to change that. Instead of following specific people or organizations, Reddit works by adding communities or individuals to follow. The platform runs in more of a forum-type format with user anonymity. Depending on the community or subreddit, conversations can be of varying quality. To challenge my thinking, I have added communities for areas of growth. I have begun following:
Not all conversations that occur on Reddit are substantive. Still, I have found that specific communities, like those listed above, provide an interesting medium for people to share their opinions, learning, and support within the given community or subreddit. As an example, within /r/education a question was posed "Why does everything K-12 teachers learn about pedagogy seemingly cease to apply in university classrooms?" My education-related courses throughout the end of my undergraduate and graduate school were polar opposite experiences, pedagogically, to the beginning of my undergraduate liberal education classes. For the most part, my education-related courses practiced what they preached when it came to pedagogy. It was fascinating to me to hear the various counterarguments to the question. Some comments pointed to the fact that many professors pursue higher education to focus on research. The various perspectives provided me with greater context and new ways of looking at a question I had been asking since starting my higher education journey.
Eli Pariser's TED talk on Beware Online "Filter Bubbles," was a good reminder that we as consumers of information must stay diligent in seeking other perspectives. Reddit does sort information based on your preferences but does not filter the information from its users unless it violates established community rules. Depending on the way you sort comments will determine the presented information first, the communities' responses are available for those who want to read all perspectives/responses.
References TED. (2011, February). Beware online "filter bubbles" | Elia Pariser. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles/transcript
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AuthorMy name is Ryan MacLeod and I live in Seattle, WA. I am currently a K-8 Lab Coordinator. I have a passion for educational technology integration and curriculum design, especially when it comes to the social sciences. Archives
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