Social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter have become integrated into sociocultural practices for millions of people around the world, and are having an enduring impact on the field of adult education. As essentially free, virtually non‐hierarchical tools that facilitate user‐generated knowledge, these online spaces may be powerful applications for a talking – or “typing” – back to dominant ideology, and giving voice to counter discourses. These tools require careful consideration around issues such as technological know‐how, access, and consumerism which is inherent in these applications. This paper discusses social media as Web 2.0 tools, their connection to critical discourse and adult education, and the considerations of using these tools in an educational context.
Social media as a communicative forum is relatively new, having been around for only ten years. However, this form of digital engagement has revolutionized the way many people interact, network, form relationships, learn, generate and share knowledge. As a noncentralized tool for communication, social media may provide space for critical discourse around issues of social justice, as discussion can be global in scope and is controlled by users themselves. This paper outlines a critical theoretical framework through which to explore the use of social media in adult education to foster such critical and social justice-themed discourse. Drawing upon five critical theorists and their work, this framework sets the stage for a future research project – one that is significant for this increasingly digital world in which we live.
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