It was the first time that I heard of personal learning networks; however, after reading the readings, I realized that I’m involved in building my personal networks without knowing what it is. I have taken a few EDCI courses before. When I commented on my peers’ blogs and received comments from my peers or my professor, I was building this network. Networks are everywhere, and with the development and the dramatically increasing utilization of social media in these few years, people are building their networks through these platforms. I remember that in the last class of Co-op, we had to learn how to use and build our LinkedIn. The importance of building a network through social media is apparent. Compared to building the networks in real life, building the networks online gives people chances to contact more like-minded people, which could facilitate various aspects. Although they may come from different cultural backgrounds and have different careers, building personal learning networks using social media provides more opportunities for people both professionally and academically. Gaining more opportunities in careers and academics might be one of the reasons why people are motivated to participate in the networked public. Additionally, it enriches your perspectives on various subjects with contact with different people, which is hard to achieve in real life.

Just like personal learning networks, public communication offers more opportunities. Participating in public communications also allows useful information to be disseminated. As a student studying psychology, I gradually realized how important it is to disseminate important information, which helps researchers, practitioners and students have access to the latest research in the field. Additionally, public communication enhances the level of transparency. The public has the right to be informed about the latest updates, and with public scrutiny, the reliability of information is also increasing. Getting involved in public communications is beneficial; however, it also means that you will lose some personal privacy. In contemporary society, the disclosure of personal information is prevalent and needs attention. Another disadvantage is that the interpretation of information may affect the effectiveness of public communication. Each individual may interpret the information differently, which is likely to cause misunderstanding and the spread of misinformation.