Facebook Fearless: How social media can be good for you | Tracy Alloway | TEDxJacksonville

The ubiquitous use of social media has caused many to fear that these personalized technology platforms are creating a generation that is narcissistic and self-obsessed. But before we dismiss personalized technology as the perpetrator of our current societal ills, Professor Alloway argues that we must take a closer look at how social media can improve not only our memory of events, but also the way in which we observe our own lives and relate to those around us.

Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway is a psychology professor and the Graduate Program Director at the University of North Florida. She was awarded an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2015 as well as an Outstanding International Leadership Award in 2014. She was also the recipient of the prestigious Joseph Lister Award for outstanding skills in communicating to a non-specialist audience from the British Science Association. Tracy’s research has contributed to the scientific understanding of working memory, and specifically in relation to education and learning needs. She has presented her research to national organizations such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and as well as internationally to organizations such as the Japanese Society for Developmental Psychology and the Center on Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk in Germany, among others.

[fleurghost]

I love the approach Dr. Alloway takes to social media! I find it amazing that many people, specifically the older generations, subscribe to the idea that social media is a negative aspect of society. I love that the research shared showed that social media actually contributes to our working memory. Instead of making our generation collectively dumber, it's actually exercising our working memory which is really amazing! I loved this talk and look forward to more in the future!

[LEBoyd-xjfp]

Really wonderful talk Dr. Alloway. Glad to see the flip-side of the coin on the narrative that social media is wholly harmful.

[kaitlinharris]

This was a great talk. I do feel that social media is good for developing empathy. Dr. Alloway is a great professor.

[serenityisweird]

Love this Tedx discussion. I like discussions related to empathy as I have been told I am a very empathetic person, so seeing how that relates to social media as something I grew up on was a fabulous idea for a study. This talk helped me with my group assignment talking about narcissism within social media. I even quoted this video within my presentation “Young people are sometimes called ‘mememe generation’ because of the fear that social media is creating narcissists and obsessed with self-promotion.” -Dr. Tracy Alloway. Thank you!

[madisonmarieteague]

I really enjoyed this TedTalk! Usually, we only hear about the negative side of social media. It was enlightening to hear that there are some benefits. We live in a very fast paced world where nearly everyone has social media apps. I especially enjoyed learning that social media can cause an increase in empathy. Professor Alloway is an engaging and confident speaker who provided such interesting information.

[graywithlemon]

It is a common view that social media leads to disconnection from the "real world" and the inability to pay attention to what is going on beyond the screen. I was interested to learn that, in fact, social media helps people develop their attention capabilities and process information that may have initially been missed. This is a skill that can be applied beyond social media to facilitate maximum information uptake in situations like work or school. I liked how Dr. Alloway brought a new perspective on social media, emphasizing its ability to benefit our social and attention skills.

[ayeeshadeleon]

As someone who uses social media quite frequently everyday, I’ve never realized how much it could help our working memory until Dr. Alloway made that point. I try to take a few hours of my day and not be on my phone so much but now it turns out that there might be a pro to all of it. Social media has helped me remembered little things such as friends birthdays, anniversaries etc and I think that’s my working memory at work. Amazing talk!

[jarrenhodges]

I love this! Showing positivity to the use of social media and realizing the good in what always is portrayed as bad. You are an excellent speaker! It was an honor to be apart of your class this semester.

[lexybootz]

I absolutely love and agree with this. As a part of the generation that is “me me me.” I hear all the time that cell phones and social media as actually made us worse and it would always made me mad. It has always been one of my strongest arguments that we have become more adept at multitasking or using “floodlight brain.” I can focus on things while taking a phone call. I can play my TV show in the back while I’m doing homework. Next time someone brings up an argument that social media is bad for society, I will make sure to link this video.

[imanitucker]

It was nice to see a TedTalk about how social media is beneficial to younger generations instead of how damaging it is. Dr. Alloway did a fantastic job showcasing how connected and empathetic people can be on social media.

[coyababoya]

I can admit that I am one of those people who thought that social media was making my generation narcissistic. We are so involved in our phones that we tend to forget our surroundings and the people around us. For Dr. Alloway to research and show that social media can be a positive influence, especially on working memory, is refreshing. I believe that everything can have a negative and positive effect, depending on how you look at it.

-Sequoia P.

[rebeccacarter]

This talk really gets me thinking about the way I view social media. I've always held a pretty negative attitude toward social media and honestly favored the spotlight brain, thinking it was better for focusing and keeping goals. But the more I've learned about working memory from Dr. Alloway and after watching this video, it's interesting to see how engaging with others on social media can enhance my brain's central executive functioning and strengthen empathy. Thank you for challenging my limited perspective!

[summervanmun]

Social media gets a lot of negative commentaries as does the amount of screen time people put in. Dr. Alloway takes a scientific perspective that supports a positive effect in multiple ways. This is great news because social media and excessive screen time have become essential to connection and will inevitably continue to be a large part of our lives.

[ryenrath]

As a dedicated user of social media and a member of the generation that is all too frequently put down for this use of social media it is refreshing to hear this perspective. The connections that can be made through social media to communities that are spread out through the world are of just as much value as the connections we make in our physical communities. More people need to see the research on this subject.

[xXbrtaXx]

I really love the approach Dr. Alloway takes in social media. Out of all of the things I've learn in developmental psychology, it's been that social media is what makes us disconnect from the "real world". I can definitely see that, and I can see aspects of how it can lead to narcissism, but it has also socialized us to take a step back and think before we respond. Social media has created and outlet to network and create our own for of communication and understanding with possible employers.

[breannamcdonald]

In light of all of the negative connotations with social media, it is refreshing to hear such a positive outlook on social media.

[alaxandria]

I never thought of it as "if someone was standing in front of me would you interrupt our conversation." I find your speech very insightful, especially because you turned something negatively viewed and turned it into a positive informational session. Keep up the talks!!!!

[madisonseger]

I appreciated the way that Dr. Alloway approaches social media, as there is such a misconceptions around the effects of it. Many are so quick to criticize social media, never considering the positive things that it has given to society, and I love how well she communicates that.

[kaitlinburgett]

The approach Dr. Alloway takes on social media is definitely one I have never heard. Growing up with social media at my finger tips, I had always been told "get off you phone and socialize in person". However, there are so many positive benefits that can come from social media like Dr. Alloway points out (processing information, empathy, and socialization). I think many people could benefit from this video because many people still have a negative connotation towards social media.

[haleyjahn]

As someone who uses social media pretty often and regularly it's nice to see some positive light shed on such a topic that often goes hand in hand with the negative remarks about millennials and entitlement.