Social media refers to Internet tools and applications that allow users to share content and communicate with other users. Nowadays, most users utilize social media through applications (apps) which are installed on mobile devices, such as mobile phones, which allow for near real-time sharing of information. These apps tend to be free or very inexpensive and allow users unfiltered access to a broad community. In this sense, they meet a basic human need of connecting with others. They permit connectivity across geographic and even language boundaries, and are utilized to share day-to-day life activities in the form of texts and images, express opinions, follow and interact with the postings of others. Social media allow users to share the details of their lives as they unfold on a daily basis. These features have driven the usage rates of social media to unprecedented levels, with virtual communities that extend across the globe.
Social media are used by organizations, often as a way to communicate with customers, employees, and competitors. They are also used for advertisement, to inform others of events and happenings in their organizations, as a means of professional development, and as a tool to build community among workers and peers locally and internationally.
In education, the connectivity that social media offer has significant potential to enhance educational processes. Students can use social media to interact with teachers outside of the classroom, or join and connect with collaborative groups of learners at a local school or in another country (Erjavec, 2013; Garcia, Elbeltagi, Dungay, & Hardaker, 2015; Susilo & Kaufman, 2014). Teachers can use social media to communicate with colleagues about particular students, share learning resources, and engage in peer mentoring and collaborations (Bett & Makewa, 2018). Administrators can use social media to communicate directly with parents, interact with students and teachers, and conduct a host of administrative functions (Mazer, Murphy, & Simonds, 2007).