Content Educators influence through social media

Content education

Scientists such as Bill Nye, the science guy, influenced generations, but what about the current generation? 

We know social media often gets criticised for brain rot and doom scrolling, but is there an alternative for the next generation. Social media also has a wealth of content for educators to share their stories and subjects. The likes of Hank Green and other scientists share not only their academic knowledge but also the areas of research that represent their discipline. 

So why is this so important?

As a social scientist, people often say there is little to no benefit from certain types of research, whether within the formal sciences, especially in the humanities and less formal sciences. Yet why is this? 

Part of it is recognition most people view particular disciplines as easier than others, and sometimes this is where we can have a false dichotomy of the work; therefore, it is not challenging. It's not rocket science, after all…

However, when we think about research, much of the work is alien to most of us. We do not understand it, but we can appreciate its application, the utility of engineering, the discovery of healthcare treatments, and the invention of new products. We do not see the same in other subjects, and this is where I get back to my original point about content education. Fundamentally, research has three problems outside of academia: accessibility,  communication, and representation. 

Accessibility is sometimes a blessing and a curse for particular subjects. They can seem so complex that they are often inaccessible, which creates a safeguard for the field. You may be right in thinking because I don't understand it wholly, but that person who does clearly knows their stuff, and I can see its application. Now, this is where the accessibility needs to change for all disciplines. How would you explain the subject to a teen or child if it is complex? What core elements must they know to understand it, and how can you take this core knowledge and help them apply it to your work? What are the takeaways they need outside of the outcomes?

Do you need all the jargonistic language?

When we think about accessibility, explaining it is one challenge, but making sure others can either access the means to pursue the discipline or that it is explained in a way they can digest it is so important. Now, most academic content is disseminated in journals, which are often complex articles that are heavy in jargonistic language and are inaccessible to most. This is coupled with paywalls that those outside of academia are often unable to access, putting a general audience at a stark disadvantage regarding the original content. Yes, some of these articles are cherry-picked and circulated in wider media, but these are very few. This is where the videos and blogs of content educators fill a gap that anyone can generally access. The information is broken down, often explained in bitesize snippets that people can learn about over a series of discussions or inspire them to find out more. 

This brings us to communication; academia is historically bad at communicating its message about what certain disciplines do, their wider research impact or even how the studies found out what they did. Yet this is because of whom the articles are aimed at, other academics of the same or often interdisciplinary interests. With Artificial Intelligence, we have easier tools for summarising a general dive into the information or often highlighting key research findings. Yet, whilst an excellent tool, the subtext, the background of interconnected research, or the areas that this could take the discipline are nuanced. Different individuals may interpret this differently, and it should get this presentation. Yet, whilst AI is evolving, there is still space for a different type of discussion that provides another resource. 

Lastly, we have representation and explain why this last element is often underappreciated. It is not just the message but the messenger, the range of faces representing different fields, ethnicities, backgrounds and experiences. The impact of seeing someone with a similar journey at the same stage as you or who is further ahead can be transformative on that individual, and seeing the content from that person can be profound. It may push them to pursue the field, providing a sense of belonging or, in some cases, confidence in the research being presented, particularly if it impacts that community. 

These areas highlight the potential impact that content educators have on the wider public. This is where I have a request for any content educators describing their journey or research area. Let's collaborate and see what audiences think of content education. By collaborating on a paper looking at the perspectives of individuals who engage with the various forms of content we create, we provide our own case studies of why we do what we do. If you're interested in this collaboration and understanding the impact of content educators, please get in touch.