By Tricia Farwell
Assistant Professor, Middle Tennessee State University
Walk into any classroom with computer access, WiFi access or cellular phone service and you will, most likely, find at least one student on Facebook, MySpace or YouTube. The students will tell you how they “get” social networking sites. Put up a few (usually less than sober) pictures. Post a few status updates ranging from song lyrics to what they did last night. Et voila! You have instant social media expertise through user experience without training.
However, some industry professionals appear to be less confident about their use and understanding of social media; they are still trying to discover the most meaningful way to incorporate it into their profession. Slips such as the infamous Memphis Twitter post by a Ketchum Vice President have shown organizations how a misstep can be a public relations disaster. In this case, the employee posted to his Twitter feed while waiting to meet with the client (FedEx). The post (http://shankman.com/wp-content/uploads//keyinfluencertweet.jpg) read: “True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say ‘I would die if I had to live here!’” Understandably, FedEx employees were upset and the Ketchum employee experienced how public social networking can be.
While these social networking may not change the messages that the organizations intend to deliver to the public, the tools are impacting the way the messages are delivered. Century 21, for example transferred its national television advertising budget to focus on online media (Bush). The switch provided the company a way to open the lines of communication with publics by using vehicles most often thought to be, if not free at least inexpensive (Johnson).
As academics, we are somewhat caught in the middle. Do we embrace the new vehicles and teach our students who think they have already mastered the tools? Do we show them what is new in the industry, only to watch them yawn? Many of the social media applications are so easy to use that people overlook the necessity of needing to truly learn their value and function. Is user experience the only thing that people need to understand these vehicles? As Phil Johnson writes, “it’s relatively easy to grasp the tools but more challenging to understand how new technologies have changed communication behaviors and patterns” (http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=136559). These underlying changes are what make social networking sites such a challenge for those who want to be truly effective.
It becomes a question of teaching the fundamentals vs. teaching technology. However, with social media, it appears that we cannot separate technology from the fundamentals. Knowing how applications such as Twitter update in real time and virtually permanent impact how practitioners use the fundamental storytelling skills. Yet, if the students in my public relations principles class are an example, the concept of real time relationship building is boring. However, randomly scrolling through the pictures of last night’s party on Facebook, perks them right up.
Perhaps even more concerning for academics is not the need to learn the new technology and fundamentals, but overcoming the apathy that the students may feel towards learning a device they believe they have already mastered.
So, walk into any classroom with computer access, WiFi access or cellular phone service and you will, most likely find at least one student using Facebook, MySpace, or YouTube (not so much Twitter, since they don’t seem to be on board with it). The question is: will they really want to learn the tools they are using. From my current experience, I’m beginning to believe the answer is no. This fall, for the first time, I’m offering a course on Advertising and Social Media. The class enrollment is at six. Five of those six students were gently pushed toward the class by me. Now this could be a sign of the times or it could be a result of a less than sexy title and course number. Heck, it could even be due to my reputation for demanding students read, work and show up to class.
In any case, the situation is sad. Here is a class that I not only was excited to teach but also was awarded a grant to develop and the only way students are interested in it is with a push. A good part of my summer will be spent developing this class because, no matter how many yawns I see, I do believe that it is essential for students to know how to make social networking sites effective. While UX is important and part of the game, knowing the theory behind the practice will only assist them. They may spend their time yawning at me, thinking they know it all, but when they go on their job interviews and are asked to explain their usage, they will have an answer.
- Johnson http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=136559
- Hamm http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=136325
- Bush http://adage.com/article?article_id=133771
- Ketchum VP Twitter http://twitter.com/keyinfluencer
Tricia M. Farwell has worked in corporate public relations and advertising for more than 17 years. Farwell has presented research at the HIC on Arts and Humanities at the MPCA. Additionally, Farwell has authored the book, Love and Death in Edith Wharton’s Fiction.