Filipinos are one of the biggest social media users in the world, averaging 3 hours and 34 minutes a day, according to a report by Meltwater. If your tween or teen is a social media user, they are likely included in those statistics.
But don’t fret! Whether you are a parent or an educator (or both!), there is always a way to use social media for education, rather than just for the likes and follower count.
Best Social Media Platforms for Education
We’ve made a list of the ways you can turn your kid’s favorite platforms into an avenue for learning.
YouTube
YouTube is the best social media for education platform your kid has access to. The best part is, it’s also their platform of choice.
Did you notice that your tween or teen ditched TV shows and went to YouTube instead? YouTube is their go-to site for watching videos and consuming long-form content (videos that are longer than 10 minutes).
And because of this long format, more information can be packed in one video. You might have yet to discover it, but YouTube is a treasure trove of information and educational resources. It has experts and enthusiasts on almost all topics, even the niche ones.
For instance, Crash Course by the Green Brothers has been around for years, and every video has been thoroughly researched and fact-checked by historians, professors, and experts in the field.
Khan Academy, the go-to site for students who didn’t quite get a topic they did in class but are too shy to ask their teacher to explain it again is also on YouTube. There’s also TedEd, National Geographic, Minute Physics, and many more.
Whether it’s homework help they need, a topic they just got curious about, or a hobby they want to explore, an expert’s YouTube video is waiting to be discovered!
As a parent, you might be wary of Instagram. It is, after all, full of supermodels and influencers that perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards and unattainable lifestyles; while you’re not wrong, there is also more to Instagram than that, so long as your kid follows the right accounts.
Instagram also has its share of experts and educators, who are now realizing that Instagram is how they reach their target audience of young Filipinos.
If YouTube is the expert on long-form, Instagram is for the short-form. YouTube typically goes in-depth with its videos, but Instagram keeps its reels and stories short and packed with the most important information. And because they’re so short, they leave your kid wanting more.
Another reason why Instagram is a good social media for education is because its short videos, stories, and instant posts are so fast to create and share with the world. This makes it easy for your kid to keep up with news that matters to them, like world affairs, and social issues.
And because it’s easy to interact with friends, family, and the people they follow on the platform, your kid can easily discuss these important matters with them, voice their opinions, and get a sense of their place in this world.
Blogs
I’d like to think my mom encouraged me to keep a diary when I was little to foster in me a love of writing and to help me find my voice, but she probably did it so I didn’t have to vent all my random thoughts and loud opinions about everything to her.
Kidding aside, all language teachers know that the only way to improve a kid’s writing skills is for them to write. So why not encourage your kid to write their blog? It doesn’t matter if it’s about their favorite comic books on WordPress, random incomplete poetry on Tumblr, or witty captions on Instagram, writing is writing!
The best thing about writing on social media platforms is that they are no longer confined to the four walls of the classroom, afraid to make mistakes and pressured to get good marks. Putting their work out on social media will encourage their creativity, foster confidence, and teach them to enjoy writing.
Yes, we want you to be open to the possibility of your kid joining our ranks in the future (wink).
You didn’t expect LinkedIn to be on the list of sites for social media for education, did you? If you have a college-bound teen, now is the perfect time to introduce them to LinkedIn. And no, it’s not too early, and they’re not going there to get a job (yet).
If your kid has a specific dream college or university they want to go to, LinkedIn is the perfect place to connect with the current students and alumni of that school.
Your kid could send a short message asking for advice or whatever they are curious about regarding their dream school, and chances are, that person would be delighted to chat with a kid and be generous with their advice and uni stories!
Facebook Groups
Many high school and college classes already have class-specific groups where teachers upload study materials, class presentations, homework guidelines, and more. It is also a place where students can ask questions, start discussions, and have easy access to their teacher and classmates.
If you’re a homeschooling parent, you could make use of Facebook groups the same way! You can connect with other parents and plan events and projects together like advocacy projects and field trips in which all of your kids can participate.
It will also provide a safe avenue for all the parents and kids to interact with one another, share ideas, and trade stories!
Parents, feel free to join us at the Smart Parenting Village Facebook group!
Threads or X
Twitter, now known as X, has a 280-character limit on whatever you post. Threads, its new rival, limits its users to 500 characters per post. Now, think about how this character limit will compel your kid to say what they want to say within those character limits!
Using X or Threads will teach them to write in a way that is concise and direct to the point—sharpening their writing skills and giving them a valuable lesson in communication.
And that's all for the best ways for your kid to use their social media for education!
Social media isn't all that bad, as long as you and your kid find the right balance, and that you make sure that they are being safe online.
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