Extending Influence

“Do you feel like you have built a strong influence amongst your peers?”

     I don’t think I have really constructed a hearty influence among or around any of my peers especially when it comes to social media. To put it plainly, there are no working partners among the members of the only piece of social media I use. And, though I have expertise in teaching and language education, I wouldn’t say that I have exercised any influence among workmates at all.

     What I have projected towards a community of learning I follow is a decent presence trying to contribute a bit with views and ideas in the field of language education. In Twitter, e.g., which is the only social media platform I barely use, I have over 1000 followers linked to education and language teaching. They were the ones who decided to follow me; none of them were asked to adhere to my academic profile.

“How did you achieve this level of influence? Share you tips for others on how to build large audiences.”

     Though I cannot call this an influence achievement, if I have accomplished any level of influence, it has been because what I have always done is to stick to an ethical online persona. In other words, I don’t mess around with politics, bigotry, religious creeds, team sports (such as soccer), celebrities, etc.

     As an individual, I can’t say that I don’t have strong opinions about issues, but what I find unethical is to bother, ridicule, or denigrate people because of what they think. I have always kept my media status as academic, and I have never shared any aspect of my private life with others. And the reason is simple; I love my penetralia, and my intimate family circle is something all members in my family enjoy having secluded.

     However, if anyone is willing to share his or her life online, my only recommendations are: 1) be sincere because lying will take you nowhere, 2) don’t litter your peer with information he or she has not requested, 3) beware of the content of your posts or when re-posting something you found interesting; you don’t want to find surprises, 4) be careful with your private and very personal information; that is very sensitive data that pertains only to you, 5) avoid soliciting, and 6) try to make use of your common sense.

“What are some of the ethical considerations to think through when building a following?”

     This can be approached twofold: when you are the follower or when people are following you. On the one hand, when you decide on following somebody or an organization, do always be respectful and courteous. Kindness is one of those things people always appreciate; nobody wants to be treated inconsiderately.

    On the other hand, kindness also applies for those who have decided to follow you. The bedrock of an ethical online presence in social media is respect. If you are looking for a high level of reciprocity, be ready to share with others, but do it respectfully. If someone sends you something you disapprove, gather your thoughts first, and then decide whether this person should be part of your circle of followers. There is nothing wrong reporting abusive behavior and use of the tool or to block someone.