what are the benefits of a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing that understands where you are coming from with messaging that impacts the community?

Using PLN to connect to various people will ensure that you enhance your knowledge as you gain from others who don’t view the world the same way as you. It is better to work with another person to solve a problem than work on your own as the saying goes, two minds are better than one. And if this is true, then isn’t having hundred of different minds discussing a topic, thinking of solution or ideas a better strategy in life than going at it alone?

Before, I discussed how social media is used to create a difference, share information and connect people worldwide. I wanted to talk about the importance of diversity and inclusion. Ethnicity allows people to have a sense of belonging, understanding of who they are and how their unique features make them special; however, their differences can sometimes divide people into discrimination, hatred, and prejudice. In today’s society, most people experience micro racism, and I can account for this. I am an Indian girl born and raised in Canada, BC. and a few statements are what my sisters and I have heard from our peers (teachers, friends, strangers etc.): “Where are you from? Like really from?” “You are not like other Indian girls,” “You are pretty for a brown girl.”, “Aren’t all Indians good at math?” These questions/statements hold some prejudices, discrimination, and racism behind them even if they believe that they are not racist and do not treat others differently. But I think these thoughts and questions come from people not growing up or being surrounded by different ethnicities. And what shaped your mind of how people are different from you is based on your surroundings, TV shows, and movies that may not accurately portray groups of people. Once people understand and value other people, that value can turn into respect (Simpson, Markiel). Learning to respect and love difference start with children, as my coworkers and I have talked about; children see no difference, have no hate, and are taught to.

It is also important to surround yourself with various people and understand your privileged (Simpson, Markiel). for example, a caucasian male won’t understand the discrimination a caucasian woman faces. And a caucasian woman will never understand the same discrimination an African Canadian woman faces, even though these two women might face the same discrimination that women face. To be aware of your privilege takes self-reflection and personal understanding. And another way is to start a conversation, listen to other people’s perspectives of the world, struggles they face. You may not understand right away what someone else experiences or their view on the world, but listening and showing respect is the first step, which will turn into understanding,

Connect with various people also ensure that you will learn about a different issue and celebrations worldwide. By only connecting with people who are the same ethnicity, religion, sex, sexuality as yourself, you will never learn about new things; you will have a “narrow” view on life. As I am connected with various religions, I have learned about so many celebrations and holidays that we do not learn in class or are not nationally celebrated in our country. I have learned the different values their culture holds. And I have learnt the various struggles and problems other places and people face. For example, in the black lives matter movement in 2020 through social media, people worldwide could show their support, stand with them, and protest, which was one of the US’s largest movements. And even more significant to show the power of social media was Geroge Floyd’s police brutality video, which sparked people worldwide’s anger. It was shared and viewed, which created the largest movement. Another movement that showed how important social media is the farmer’s protest in India. One way to stop the protest was to shut down electricity so the farmers could not share what was going on and spread the word.

The use of social media is rugged; it ignites a flame in people, brings people together, makes people remember there are things worth fighting to change. This is done with every like, share, re-post, re-tweet, comment and post. As Markiel Simpson talked about the power of re-tweeting when he spoke about it, I realized the importance of re-tweet, to know that others want to share your idea and to learn more about what you are discussing. And that you can make a change, you can share an Idea and that others are wanting the same. In other words, social media is a platform for change. Social media can spread information about a cause, tell people what the reason is, the importance of how you can be apart of it. It allows people to become united, create relationships among those who support the cause—a dialogue between other PLN users who have a large follower base to reach more people. Social media is much more than a place to go to for fun or a place to learn; but it is a place to create change, create unity, share an idea. Connecting with people can be as easy as making a strong bio; this can prompt people’s thoughts and invoke an action (Simpson, Markiel).