4 Social Media

Transcript

Hello Friends. In our previous discussion we talked about the concept of content analysis, and the procedure involved in content analysis. In this discussion we will be taking up the concept of Social Media as a means of extension advisory services. So the social media is an outcome of Web 2 applications.

Web 2.0 means

What does this Web 2.0 means? Web 2.0 means the website’s internet applications which empower people to share information and work together. The basic feature is, it allows two way interaction. So that is why the connotation of 2.0 is attached with this. So usability and accessibility are the key of Web 2.0. It means, there is no one way interaction but the interaction is two way. So that is what is facilitating the process of social media. And that is how people are coming on the common platform and interacting and exchanging their ideas, facts, feelings, so that both can establish a common understanding. So this is what is the basic application of Web 2.0

Basic Components of Social Media

Then coming to the basic components of this social media. There are three important components.

1. Number one we need to have the content for the social media. It maybe related to entertainment. It maybe related to education. It maybe related to production, processing, marketing etc. but there should be a content.
2. Then it should be exchanged in a two way process wherein the Web 2.0 applications are facilitating this process
3. And there is a target group which we call it as the communities.

So these three units make this component of the social media. Social media provides the platform for interaction of people and content creation, exchange and commenting in virtual communities and networks. So this is what is basically the social media means.

What is Social Media

So what exactly is this social media. Social media is a collection of online communication channels dedicated to community based input interaction, content sharing and collaboration. So it means there is a group of people who are interacting on a group basis over a cyber space. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging, social networking and social bookmarking, social curation and wikis are some of the different types of social media that are available.

Social media is a general term used for any interactive digital technology. Apart from the things, what we have already said. So there are various other applications like the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs etc., which comes under the definition of social media.

Need of Social Media

Then coming to, what is the need of this social media.

• So basically to exploit the strengths for agricultural growth is one of the need for social media in case of agriculture and allied sciences.
• So it acts as a knowledge resource also, because content creation is there.
• Then it provides the better information access to the people, because basically it believes in groups, formation of groups and delivery of information and exchange of information in groups.
• Then the technical manpower is very much essential for this particular management of these groups.
• Then it is very cost effective.
• It develops the knowledge.
• It empowers the people, because it is providing the information.
• It provides service to the stakeholders.
• And it establishes the strong linkages.

So these are the basic purposes for which we need the social media. So we need a social media platform, because when we talk of social media. The first and foremost thing that comes to our mind is only the Facebook or the Twitter type of things. But there are various other platforms of social media also.

Platforms of Social Media

Let us have a look at them one by one.

• Number one is the social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace etc. You are all familiar with this.
• Now coming to the video as well as the photo sharing websites like maybe Flickr or YouTube. So they are also social media platforms, wherein huge number of people are coming and getting lot of information and exchanging the contents.
• Then the blogs are also the platforms of social media. We have already discussed at length about the blogs as well as the micro-blogs.
• For example Twitter. Twitter is the most popular microblogging site that we can say. So that acts as your personal website, wherein you can share lot of contents over that and people are using it.
• Then there are various Forums, Discussion boards or the groups, like the Google groups are there, the Yahoo groups are there. So they are all again the social media  platforms.
• Then wikis. Which is the most popular application is the Wikipedia, wherein huge number of people are adding contents, which is valid in nature, which is being edited and which is acting as the source of information and source of clarification for many of the people or the applications.
• Then the video on demand as well as podcasts are another platform of social media.
• Then video conferences and web conferences are another platforms of social media.
• email and instant messaging is also going on.
• Then socially integrated mobile text messaging applications like the WhatsApp as well as WeChat. Number of such applications are coming up.
• Then websites with a social plugins as well as layers are another examples of platforms of social media.

Social Media Statistics – India

Then the statistics related to the social media.

• The internet penetration in India is about 627 million people are using Internet in India as on date. This is what is the latest information. So when we look into the most popular social media platforms in Indian context out of what this 627 million people are using.
  o  The first and foremost thing that comes to social media is the Facebook. About 91% people are using this Facebook
  o  Then Google Plus is being used by 61% of this 627 million.
  o  43% are using Twitter
  o  And LinkedIn is being used by 24% of the people.

So this shows the penetration of social media into the communities. How popular they are and how people are associated with them. Even though initially we are using it for the purpose of only the exchange of information or the entertainment purpose, but over a period of time there is a potential of making use of these platforms for the purpose of exchange of the quality information, the productive information related to science, technology, development etc etc.

Why Social Media in Agricultural Extension?

Why social media in agricultural extension? Because the nature of agricultural extension services are different from other platforms like entertainment media. Why and how we can make use of these social media platforms, specially for the purpose of agricultural extension.

• It is easier access to the electronic gadgets and the Internet facilities including the rural population. We have already observed the statistics in previous discussions, that almost equal number of people in urban as well as rural area are having access to the Internet as well as the modern information communication technology tools and techniques. So that is how the social media has a huge potential specially for providing the extension services.
• For delivering information to the target communities at anytime, anyplace. And from any place, to any place, from any place. At any point of time we can provide the extension services or the information services to the farmer. So these are the beauties associated with the social media.

Examples of Use of Social Media in Agriculture

So there are some examples of social media. For example, how the Facebook page is being created and used for the purpose of the animal husbandry farmers, Indian Cow-breeders Club. So any farmer who is maintaining these Indian cows, can be part of this system and he can get the information. This is the Twitter handle created by the Union Minister of Agriculture(Govt of India). So to provide the information, so that microblogging is also being acted as the social media platform. Even the govt sources.

Then the YouTube channels are there, wherein you can get huge amount of information. Agriculture technology channel, number of such channels that are available for the purpose of sharing of information. Then as a resource person you can also create such channels. Then there are the pages of various agricultural universities. Then research institutions, so on and so forth.

Challenges Before Social Media

Then coming to the challenges before the social media.

• The institutional awareness about the social media as potential is one of the important challenge. The institutions should recognize the potential of the social media, so that they can make use of the potential of social media as an instrument for delivering extension services.
• Then encouraging the stakeholders to access the social media links. So the figures what we have seen, so they are all for using the social media for the purpose of entertainment. But whether they are making use of this for educational purpose, for getting extension service purpose. That is what is the challenge before the professionals.
• Then the skilled human resource to maintain the social media interactions. So we need the people who are in between. So who can manage these platforms, so wherein the skills are essential, that is another challenge.
• Internet and information technology infrastructure is another issue. So that needs to be maintained and that needs to be promoted.
• Then satisfying the heterogenous users is another challenge for the professionals. Because as we have number of people on these platforms, their demands are also diverse in nature. So whether we are able to cater to all the needs. So that’s what is an issue.
• Then measuring impact is another challenge. So because of the social media, what are the changes that occurred into the technological scenario or the adoption scenario, that is another issue.
• Then continuous engagement of the population is one of the challenge that we observed

Opportunities for Social Media in Extension Services

Then opportunities for social media in extension services

• Formation of the global/national interest groups is possible. So right now we are thinking of formation of the groups at the local and regional level. But that can be extended to national as well as global level.
• Then can act as a catalyst for resource mobilization. That resource maybe technology. That resource maybe organization. That resource maybe the finance.
• Then integration of wide range of stakeholders. All the stakeholders can come on a common platform. Maybe it is the technology users, technology providers, the input suppliers, the processors, the marketers. All the stakeholders can come on a common platform. So that’s what is the opportunity.
• Then reaching one to many. One institution is there but it has an access to each and every individual.

Conclusion

To conclude we can say that

• There is a need to create awareness among the extension professionals and build the capacities to share more information on the social media platforms.
• Institutionalizing the use of social media for sustained momentum and for better sharing as well as networking for the purpose of delivering extension services.
• Then encouraging self-publication and collective collaboration, so that each and every professional can add the content on his own and he can develop the content for the social media.
• Extension organizations need to encourage the stakeholders to use the social media for interaction and obtaining the feedback.
• And research on social media is one of the important issue that needs to be taken care of in the days to come.

With this we are coming to the end of the discussion on the concepts of social media, and how it can be an instrument for disseminating the technologies and getting the feedback from the communities. In the next interaction we will be discussing about a unique experiment that is popularly known as Tarahaat.com

Thank You.