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\begin{document}

\title{How social media has enhanced my education and research\\}


\author[ ]{Daniel Goldsmith}
\author[ ]{Authorea Reddit}

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As an undergraduate network science researcher, I use social networking
platforms to keep abreast of cutting edge research and publications in
my field, engage in larger conversations with leaders in my own and
adjacent fields, and enter into personal conversations that have
extended beyond social media and into real friendships and mentorships.
These opportunities did not exist in the same magnitude before the
advent of modern social media, nor did the analogous version of these
opportunities have such low barriers to entry.\\

~\\

Because of social networking sites, I have had to the opportunity to
expand my peer group, mentorship circles, and overall access to the
frontiers of numerous fields of academic research far beyond what was
available at my own university and social circle. As a senior in
college, trying to figure out what academic path I should take after
graduation, the conversations I have had with both groundbreaking
academics and PhD students alike, across a broad range of scientific
fields, from architecture and urban planning, computational biology,
particle physics, and natural language processing, to name just a few,
have been extremely fruitful in guiding me toward a broader perspective
both in terms of my personal and professional trajectory, and my active
research project.\\

~\\

For my senior thesis, I am working on a computational and mathematical
epidemic model for the spread of the Zika Virus. While my thesis advisor
has been tremendously helpful in providing me support and guidance and
answering my questions, I have also gained a significant amount of my
current knowledge from following the right accounts on Twitter and
reading the articles, both general and scholarly, that they tweet out to
their followers, as well as the ensuing conversations that occur with
other experts on their profiles and the larger social media sphere. When
trying to develop a model for the spread of the virus, I stumbled upon
papers and comments discussing the spreading phenomenon of memes on
twitter and then witnessed their spread firsthand through the very
discussion. An experience like that gives deeper and fresher insight
into the underlying science than just diving into journal articles with
techniques and ideas that are at least 6-months old.\\

~\\

Rather than detract from this phenomenon, by alleging that it is without
precedent and not in the spirit of scientific discovery, or that it may
only serve as a distraction, I embrace the shift to lively discourse on
these social networks, where everyone from the top academics in the
field, to students, to interested lay-readers can contribute their voice
to the conversation and join together to create a vital spirit of
science, discovery, and discourse that is the heart of modern scientific
research.\\

~\\

Improvements to the ad-hoc social networking that is currently done in
science could include introducing semi-formal discussion forums that
help to foster a sense of community and enrich the discussion by
situating it within a digital place and time rather than the current
seemingly random diffusion of ideas. This random diffusion is still very
valuable and should not be disregarded, but can be enhanced by adding
this second, organized component.\\

~\\

Cultural attitudes that need to change center around the majority of
academics' disregard of social networking sites as silly and not part of
`real science.' Ways to adjust this attitude would be to engage in
campaigns on campus to bring more academics into the social media fold
by creating accounts with them, showing them relevant sources and people
to follow, both within their field of expertise and the larger
scientific and popular discourse, and slowly chipping away at the
inherent bias against engaging in meaningful discussions online.

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