SOCIAL
Facebook Updates Educational Resources for Parents and Students Ahead of Back-to-School Season
With US students returning to school over the coming weeks, Facebook has updated its parent and student resource tools, in order to provide additional guidance to help parents manage their students’ online activity, and help students avoid unwanted exposure online.
First off, Facebook has rolled out a new update to its ‘Get Digital‘ online education resource hub, which provides a range of guides to help parents and students safely navigate online connection.
As per Facebook:
“We are excited to announce that we have expanded the content for the back-to-school season based on parent and teacher feedback to further support facilitation in the classroom, after school and at home.”
Launched late last year, Facebook’s ‘Get Digital’ platform aims to improve digital literacy, and keep users safe while logging into their lessons online. Which, given the ongoing lockdowns, is a major point of concern for many in the back-to-school period.
Facebook’s new Get Digital elements include:
- Professional Development – Five individual professional development guides to be used by teacher leaders to train educators on how to use these materials in the classroom.
- After School Guide – A facilitator’s guide designed for after school programming to support the usage of Get Digital in an after-school setting and among youth serving organizations.
- Media Literacy Lessons – New media literacy lessons on reverse image search and metadata for our Get Digital Engagement pillar. These were drawn from the Harvard Berkman Klein Center for Youth and Media.
These are important tools, and really, should become part of the general educational curriculum. These days, the majority of our interactions come via online means, and with more businesses looking to let people work from home, and more students logging in remotely, that reliance is only going to increase.
Some regions have already started building digital literacy into the general education stream, which seems like the right way to go. Most, however, are not at that stage as yet, and as such, these new resources could prove extremely valuable for those looking to take it upon themselves to improve teacher and student understanding of these essential elements.
In addition to this, Facebook has also launched an updated Child Safety Hub, which is designed to further support parents, caregivers and educators with resources to facilitate increased youth safety online.
“The hub centralizes and expands upon our expert-informed, research-based programs in the areas of online safety, digital literacy, well-being, and bullying prevention. In addition, it will serve as a resource for live and on-demand training presented in partnership with our safety partners.”
Facebook further notes that, over the course of the next few weeks, its Child Safety Hub will be available in 55 languages.
These are important initiatives from Facebook, which align with increasing societal trends, and cater to what may be a gap in the educational curriculum in regards to dealing with increased online usage. Of course, parents and educators are well aware of these concerns, and many have implemented their own programs and processes to help provide insight and information on these elements. But if you’re looking for more, or you simply want to brush up on your own knowledge, it’s worth referring to Facebook’s updated tools.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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