“Advocacy is an umbrella term that describes a method, approach and series of tools used to change policies and practices, reform institutions, alter power relations, change attitudes and behaviours and give project work a broader impact” (Begloian, 2016). Advocacy can take place online or offline and across a variety of mediums. Advocacy on social media platforms for example has become particularly popular, as it can be used to inform a vast public audience on various issues, in a way that is accessible to many and easy to understand. Advocacy communications in general as a colleague of mine pointed out @callim, “require clear objectives, knowledge of the intended audience, and language that is appropriate for that audience that is short, specific, and to the point” (@callim, 2021), which makes social media a particularly effective place for advocacy and advocacy related conversations to take place. The way that advocacy tends to look depends on the social media platform that is being used.

For example:

@django. “Paying $23 for a lukewarm hamburger delivered by a guy who has never had health insurance, our economy is running flawlessly”. Twitter, 13 Feb. 2021, 4:03 p.m., https://twitter.com/django/status/1360741374673436673
Figure 1. A typical post whose message is that America requires major political and structural changes.

Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/09/03/is-the-political-debate-dead
Figure 2. An example of an interactive campaign that includes diverse voices in the conversation about why we should work to abolish student debt and put more effort into helping underemployed students find opportunities.

Source: https://issuu.com/anselmolucio/docs/its_not_just_the_content_its_the_business_model__2/s/10354166
Figure 3. Facebook ads are used here by Joe Biden to extend the reach of his campaigning.

Source: @sywtta. “I just hit 1 million followers on Instagram 🤯. For the good stuff: https://t.co/qFSgs6GRtJ?amp=1.” Twitter, 1 Aug. 2020, 8:29 p.m., https://twitter.com/sywtta/status/1289765237306953728
Figure 4. An Instagram blog that informs users on progressive political and social issues in a graphic slideshow format.

It is important to have a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing with political content for example because we are all stakeholders. It is particularly important to reach disenfranchised groups and to ensure they know that certain organizations and individuals may have their best interests at heart for example, during an election. It is also important to hear the voices of these people online and consider their messages as we change policies and practices and reform institutions so that we can move towards a place where one’s gender, sexuality, race, and socioeconomic status have less bearing on people’s rights and overall quality of life. A relevant example of this being done is in the way that Markiel Simpson utilizes social media to promote the messaging of the BC Community Alliance.

In recent years, social media use in public discourse has frequently challenged advocacy communications. One example of this was former President Donald Trump’s tweets. Typically, reactions were mixed when he would tweet, with a large majority critically dissecting and refuting his messaging and others (unfortunately) taking it at face value. I think it was important for users to be discussing and challenging these sorts of dangerous messages, actions, and opinions such that the public would not be likely to reinstate Trump for another term.

I would say that my PLN does indeed amplify the views of others. I for example have some resources related to the Black Lives Matter movement in my Instagram bio and try to repost content related to the non-profit I am working with when I feel it is appropriate. While I am not directly impacted by the things that members of the Black Community face, I feel as though it is important to be an ally by spreading their message in the hope that things can change for this group of people. The non-profit that I am involved with, called Looking Glass has done much of its advocacy online this year, including participating in the #EDAW2021 campaign, promoting a petition for increased funding and policy amendment with respect to eating disorder treatment, as well as advertising and hosting their usual in-person fundraising gala completely online!

Most employers have strict policies regulating their employees’ use of social media. In the Medical community, for example, professionals are forbidden from sharing identifying details about patients and specific patient encounters. Most businesses in addition do not allow employees to publish certain information or intellectual property in general, or to speak on their behalf on social media unless the post content is approved by that organization’s PR team. It is also expected that employees conduct themselves professionally online on all identifiable accounts.

One rule that I think guides more effective social media use is the concept of getting out what you put into it. The more you actively engage with others online and their content, the more opportunities there are to learn things.

References

Begloian, Anush. “What is Advocay and How Can It Help?” 2016. Culture Partnership. online. 24 February 2021.

Collins, Bob. MPR News. 3rd September 2014. Online. 24th February 2021.

Lucio, Anselmo. Issuu. 2020. Online. 24th February 2021.

Simpson, Markiel. “EDCI 338 – 2021 – 02 – 22 MARKIEL SIMPSON.”  22 Feb. 2021. doi: https://youtu.be/yCSpm1Lx8-A

If I were tasked with creating a PLN prior to engaging in a social media campaign, I would make sure to follow relevant organizations and thought leaders or advocates in professions related to that topic across a variety of social networks (LinkedIn, Instagram, blogs, etc.).
As an example, the non-profit that I volunteer with called the Looking Glass Foundation in Vancouver just participated in an annual campaign called “Eating Disorders Awareness Week’. This campaign involved a vast variety of participants including other non-profits, health authorities, dieticians, counsellors, and members of the public. During each day of Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Looking Glass would publish a new educational post, and would typically tag other partners in the area or across Canada to engage more individuals and facilitate increased participation. Looking Glass also used a specific hashtag for this occasion which was “EDAW2021” in order to create an easily searchable back-channel (Woods, 2013) for this event. In addition to this, organizers also arranged for different monuments across Canada to be lit up in purple in advance to increase awareness of the event, such as The Calgary Tower.

To be seen as a leader in a space of my choice, I would need to be well-informed on a topic, and be vocal, which would look like producing my own content as well as engaging with a variety of partners in the community and across the world. In order to help raise my profile, I would ensure that I have a strong and consistent personal and professional digital identity that is genuine, and try to ensure that
my PLN is an inclusive space, where commentary is respectful and everyone is welcome.


References
Woods, Bianca. “Building your own PLN: seeking new insights and ideas? Expand your personal learning network.” T+D, vol. 67, no. 11, Nov. 2013, p. 70+. Gale OneFile: Business, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=ITBC&xid=1010abdf. Accessed 15 Feb. 2021.

Retrieved from “Blogsomemoore”
https://blogsomemoore.com/

Many companies have embraced diversity in opening-up opportunities to those of different cultures and beliefs, however, the effects of intergenerational poverty on access to opportunities are still overlooked, meaning that many still do not have an equal chance at achieving career success compared to those from more affluent backgrounds. I believe that more can still be done in education and in creating hiring practices that can better address this fundamental inequity.
From my experience, many workplaces are still relatively homogeneous. Even when we hire people from a variety of backgrounds, we still tend to end up with many people coming from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, who attended the same schools, with the same hobbies, and so forth.
I think that we need to begin to consider how a more disprivileged background can affect career prospects beginning from a child’s first exposure to education. Supports in school (as a piece of a child’s PLN) need to be available for children who start out with fewer resources or have unique learning needs perhaps due to ADHD or Autism. In addition, I believe that as much as possible that children should be kept ‘together’ (Moore, 2018) in order to remain a part of one another’s PLNs and to enable children to learn from one another.
A relevant example to how a diverse PLN and set of resources can make a difference in a person’s career prospects lie in the common ask for ‘good communication skills’. In other words, this can be understood to mean a person who is confident, well-spoken and is effective at written communication. What this ask fails to consider, however, is that such skills can only really be developed if one has had the privilege to allow for these skills to be nurtured.
With respect to recruitment, even when candidates come from relatively privileged middle-class backgrounds which would have allowed relatively equitable access to education, attaining a point of entry into one’s field of interest can still be a challenge.
This came to be exemplified in the attitude of a recruiter at a networking event that I recently attended.
On a surface level, she explained that she loved to match suitable applicants to roles and to create opportunities for people. However, she gave many subtle signs that she had an underlying belief that none of the students in attendance were qualified to be suitable for relevant work within the industry she was hiring within. For example, she opened by saying ‘I’m sure many of you have applied to us and have heard nothing back”. She then began to plug her ‘talent on demand’ program that effectively asked individuals to welcome the idea of temporary work that would not provide individuals with a reliable income because of perceived inexperience. I thought this was an interesting thing to say to a room full of students with extremely relevant degrees and experience without knowing a single thing about anyone in attendance. She then went on to relay an anecdote about how a candidate with an ‘unusual background’ in Philosophy whom she did not think would be successful as a Project Manager ended up being ‘fantastic’ in the role. This seemed proof to me that traditional hiring practices DO NOT guarantee us the best candidate and that our strategies around recruitment could use an overhaul. There is an extreme amount of pressure to following graduation to land ‘the right job’ in markets that are competitive and oversaturated, and the challenge is even greater in times of economic downturn.
I think that one’s resources growing up and one’s PLN and supports or connections can make all the difference in who is ultimately chosen to be given a chance in the business place.
I think that having a diverse PLN in school and in the workplace is the only way to learn. If we are not exposed to different ideas, if our ideas, realities, and perceptions are never challenged, then we will never grow or learn. We can learn so much from one another. In addition, we often fear what we do not understand, and this can often act to divide us as people. I think that diversifying our PLNs is an absolutely necessary way to further our learning and to better understand and appreciate those around us. And in order for others to feel comfortable enough to welcome us into their truth and to share their knowledge with us, inclusion is paramount.

In terms of my existing PLN, I would say that it’s fairly diverse. Since Health Informatics is multidisciplinary in nature, I find I am following accounts that relate to Health, Technology, and Business. I am connected to a lot of my peers on LinkedIn and on Facebook messenger who come from similar backgrounds and to a few professionals in my industry. I used to tend to participate in a silo of information sharing, but I have lately been trying to expand my horizons by following a variety of different accounts and individuals and making an effort to hear their stories. Out of personal interest, I follow accounts related to mental health, art, science, environmental issues, politics, comedy, etc.
A diverse PLN certainly can broaden one’s view of inclusion. I still think there is more room in all of our PLNs to expand to include the voices of those whose realities we know little about. Something in addition to this that I would still like to change is my lack of participation on a lot of online platforms.

References
Moore, Shelley. “The Evolution of Inclusion“. YouTube, uploaded by Five Moore Minutes, 1 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo&feature=youtu.be.(02:12-02:18).