Social Networking, Improving Culture

In Alexandra Smith's blog post, ReevaluatingImportance of Social Media, she discusses the anxiety created by social networking and questions whether or not social networking is worth the irritation it causes. Honestly, I agree with a lot of the points she made. I personally avoided my Facebook page for around two years because of how people acted on the site. However, I believe that social networking can be used to bring people together and enrich cultures. 

An example of this is the blog you are currently reading. I doubt I would ever have learned how to crochet without social networking. Between Pinterest boards, Raverly Patterns, and YouTube tutorials I have endless crafting resources and knowledge to teach myself with. Just today I saw a stitch on a vintage blanket I wanted to copy. All I had to do was look up crochet stitches on Google Images, look for the correct stitch, learn its name, and then look up a tutorial on how to complete the stitch.  Being able to learn skills this easily is a blessing. Before social networking we had to learn these skills from friends or family, which sounds good in theory, but may not always work out in practice. 

You may not know anyone who knows the craft or at least anyone who is a good teacher. Even with a good teacher, you may be a slow learner. I am a slow learner. Seriously, road kill could memorize facts faster than me. YouTube tutorials allowed me to rewind, pause, or slow down the teacher until I was ready to move on. Sometimes the internet can be the best option for learning and with out it many people would never learn crafts like crochet.

Another great aspect of social networking is that crafters  have a place to meet and discuss about their craft. Online chat rooms, Facebook pages, Esty shops, and more can be used to communicate with other crafters. I have even heard of a quilting group who meet over video chat.  Social media teaches us and brings us together, but what do we do now that we have made these crafts?

We sell them! We have online stores dedicated just for crafters to sell their crafts such as Esty. According to Jess author of Create and Thrive and small online business owner, " ...small online business create jobs and boost the economy..."  Wait a minuet...

Social Networking  offers to teach us  skills. It gives us a place to communicate about these skills, and it "boosts" the economy. If more people used social networking for learning and improving their lives instead of taking selfies and causing flame wars we would have a very large population of skilled and well rounded people.