And we have a winner…

June 24th, 2012

And just like that, we have a winner!

Strikes, not "Likes"In my last post, I vented a bit about education, but the bigger issue was the lack of action that comes with a lot of social media activism.  It’s easy to say you support an issue, but clicking the “Like” button often translates into nothing more than a way for your social network to better advertise to you.

Credit to my UDC compatriot Aaron Heresco for matching the slogan that you can use when you want to do more than just signal you’d be okay if something changed but you’re too busy playing Farmville or creeping your ex to actually do anything.   Repost it, hashtag it, whatever – as long as you actually do something more than just nod and continue on with your day.

Categories: activism,critical theory,praxis — — Comments (0)

Raises, not Roses for the Information Age

June 24th, 2012

So this morning, I checked my e-mail as I usually do, and I found a note from the Dean of the college my department is in at the shiny business university I teach it.    The e-mail simply read

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/06/22/teach/

1.42 per hour?

I suppose, sent as it was to the entire faculty, several VIPs a the U., and others that it’s meant as a sort of sly nod to how much we all do.  But coming from the person in the highest position in my particular neck of the woods – and so, likely one of the highest salaries – I don’t need a wink and a nod.  Living in one of the higher cost of living cities and making not much about that "Raises, not Roses" was a great button slogan, but what's the social networking equivalent?national salary average even though I’ve got a Ph.D. and eight years teaching experience, I can say I don’t really need your empathy, but I sure would like it if you’d do something about it.

And most importantly, the sentiment the article ends on: “Make a teacher smile; repost this to show appreciation for all educators.” is the last thing I need.  If you want to show your appreciation, pay me.    To steal a line from a great Ruth Brown song “Put your hand in your stash, and give me some cash.”  But, less personally, this strikes me as one of the great challenges of the social networking age:  mistaking awareness for action.  While the thing that’s set me off is pretty specific, this fits the pattern for any issue you care about:  Kony, cancer, drunkin driving, whatever.  If all you can do is click the “Like” button to show you support something, then you really haven’t done much at all.

What’s the social networking equivalent of “Raises, not roses?”   _______, not Likes?

Categories: academia,economics,education,higher ed,labor,social media — — Comments (0)