Social Media as a Scientific Communication Method Essay Example
Social Media as a Scientific Communication Method Essay Example

Social Media as a Scientific Communication Method Essay Example

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  • Pages: 7 (1880 words)
  • Published: December 29, 2021
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Introduction

Social media refers to digital tools that facilitate the worldwide creation, exchange, and distribution of data, information, and professional interests. These platforms allow users to communicate using written messages, audio recordings, images, and videos. Social media relies on mobile and web-based technology to offer interactive platforms where individuals and communities can share, collaborate on, edit, and discuss user-generated content.

Social media offers numerous benefits compared to traditional communication methods, including quality, reach, frequency, usability, immediacy, and permanence. Various social media technologies are accessible such as blogs, business networks, enterprise social networks, forums, photo sharing platforms, product/service review platforms, and video sharing platforms. The top social media platforms for scientific communication include Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Instagram YouTube. These platforms facilitate worldwide sharing of documents, photos and videos.

This research paper aims

...

to analyze the use of social media in sharing information among scientists, journalists, and the general public, as well as assess its potential for misuse. It also evaluates the progress made in utilizing social media for scientific communication.

Scientists have adopted social media platforms not only to disseminate recent research or discoveries but also to actively participate in relevant discussions. LabSpace.net is a platform that exemplifies this trend by functioning as both a social networking site and providing daily science news feeds, lab profiles, a science forum, blogs, and a science protocol database. On LabSpace.net, researchers can create profiles where they can showcase their publications, technical research protocols, blog posts about science, and share research articles with others within the community. Furthermore, LabSpace.net facilitates collaboration among researchers from different locations through video conferencing services.

The website SurgyTech.com allows surgeons and medical professionals to share videos and slideshows wit

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the public and other surgeons. Users can search for specific videos by organ, tissue, or operation type, making it a valuable resource for those seeking successful operations performed by qualified practitioners. Currently, the site has a user base of over 4000 surgeons from more than 124 countries and offers access to over 400 procedures.

Furthermore, social media technologies have been utilized by scientists to enhance environmental protection efforts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) utilizes social media tools to distribute information regarding environmental protection and management.

Both EPA and scientific organizations such as NASA utilize various social media platforms to disseminate information. EPA has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Flikers, Google +, YouTube, and more. Similarly, NASA shares recent space exploration discoveries through social media. For example, they recently published a blog post announcing that March 2016 was the warmest March on record, with a temperature rise of 0.320C compared to March 2015.

The global land temperature was 2.3? higher than the 20th century average of 3.2?, according to NASA. They utilize social media platforms, including YouTube, to raise awareness about space trends and discoveries. In nursing education classes, YouTube is used as an easy and user-friendly tool for engaging students at all levels.

Journalists' Use of Social Media

Journalists primarily use social media for communication and sharing scientific information on a global scale. They can create and share YouTube videos that promote mental health worldwide, as well as produce fitness DVDs that demonstrate physical exercise activities for viewers to monitor their progress along with the DVD content.

The use and misuse of Social Media

Social media is utilized by various professionals, including scientists, journalists, and business people, to communicate with a wide audience.

For instance, Beauty Manufacturing Solution Corporation in the USA promotes their beauty products primarily through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram (9). The effectiveness of these platforms lies in their ability to reach a large number of individuals since over 70% of the global population can access the internet through personal computers and phones (7).

In contrast, social media can be misused when false information is spread without proper verification. In December 2014, NASA posted on Twitter and Facebook that there would be worldwide darkness on December 25th. This misinformation created anticipation among people but turned out to be untrue. To prevent such instances, regulatory authorities should establish measures for responsible information sharing on social media. It is crucial to refrain from publishing unverified rumors or hypotheses as facts.

In my first blog titled "Beach body in 28 days!- A physiological Harmful claim," I discuss the widespread presence of DVD chips promoting unrealistic body expectations on social media, particularly targeting young people such as school goers. This misuse of social media platforms has been shown in a recent study by the Oregon State University to have negative effects on teens, both verbally and visually, leading to physiological harm such as stress and difficulty coping with situations.

Usage of YouTube as a Scientific Tool

On my third blog titled "The 'pill' to the rescue!- Reduced knee injury risk with the use of the birth control pill," I provide a vivid explanation of how birth control is highly effective in preventing pregnancy (99.9% success rate). Additionally, I delve into the question of how we can determine if birth control is also able to reduce the risk of knee injuries.

The University

of Texas Medical conducted research indicating that birth control pills containing estrogen hormone can reduce the risk of knee injuries in females. A YouTube clip explains how these pills stabilize estrogen levels, impacting the menstrual cycle. The clip also demonstrates the connection between estrogen and knee injuries, as higher levels of this hormone increase susceptibility to such injuries. YouTube serves as a social media platform for scientific communication, facilitating access to healthcare information without visiting healthcare centers.

Social Media's Impact on Scientific Communication

Social media has revolutionized scientific communication, enabling the quick and widespread sharing of ideas among scientists worldwide. With the internet, we now have tools that enhance and expand our capabilities like never before.

Our mind is programmed to solve intellectual questions, including the most challenging ones. Just as we have used physical tools in the past to demonstrate our strength, we can create tools that enhance our collective intelligence. When social media is mentioned, platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, blogs, Instagram, Twitter, MySpace LinkedIn Dig and others come to mind. These platforms have demonstrated how technology has rapidly evolved and affected various industries, corporations, news media and government departments. They utilize social media to provide information to consumers. This approach is now widely accepted as an effective way of bringing about change.

A prime example showcasing the progress of science communication via social media is the Polymath Project. In 2009, an acclaimed mathematician put forth a captivating puzzle on his WordPress blog. He encouraged fellow mathematicians and people from all over the world to share their ideas and collaborate in finding a solution for a complex, unresolved problem by posting their perspectives at the bottom of the

web page.

The blog gaining over 850 views in a short period of time resulted in the publication of numerous scientific papers and solutions for difficult mathematical problems. The website now serves as a platform for crowd sourcing solutions to challenging math questions, inspired by Gower's open-minded science experiment. Along with providing information, the public now has the right to choose what they read and contribute their own ideas and opinions, leading to a revolution in science communication through social media. Social networking has significantly impacted how organizations operate and transform, as well as the dissemination of ideas and decisions in science and technology fields, contributing to the constant stream of new inventions and innovations.

Social media platforms are essential for sharing information and have a significant impact on reporting news, both general and scientific. They play a crucial role in connecting scientists globally, enabling the exchange of groundbreaking discoveries. For example, if a scientist from Singapore achieves a major breakthrough in treating cervical cancer or finding a hypothetical cure for AIDS, how can they share their findings with other researchers worldwide? Social media comes to the rescue by allowing them to post their research on a health blog and invite contributions from fellow scientists. This way, they can effortlessly communicate with numerous scientists across the globe and attract potential clients for their business.

In the past, scientific news was primarily disseminated through magazines and newspapers, but these traditional methods were found to be ineffective and inefficient (4). In his 2015 publication, Clay introduced the concept of "organizing without organizations" in his book "Here comes everybody," highlighting a significant revolution. The book provides compelling examples of new technologies,

particularly internet and social media platforms, that have transformed the dynamics of groups and their actions. This shift in science communication can be observed through the emergence of dedicated websites for specific scientific causes, collaborations among scientists worldwide, utilization of social media platforms like Flickr, and the collective efforts of users to generate information, such as Wikipedia.

Social media platforms have been invaluable for accessing scientific information and securing insurance coverage. Public health institutions are also utilizing platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to reach a wider audience. Personally, I found an affordable life insurance policy through a WhatsApp group, although there is a risk of encountering scams or fraud online.

Conclusion

The impact of social media on the field of science is significant. It has facilitated the publication of numerous new findings, scientific reports, and discoveries, while also fostering innovation and invention. As technology continues to advance rapidly, scientific communication and development are advancing as well. Social media has transformed how news is shared with the public, providing them with informative and mindful information compared to traditional press outlets. The future of science holds great promise due to ongoing advancements in social media.

References

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    The given text, enclosed within paragraph tags, states the publication date as November 15, 2011, with a volume number of 9, issue number of 1, and page numbers ranging from 1 to 3.

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