Edci339 Individual post 4

Re: Hi Caroline. I enjoyed reading your post and your comparison of Twitter and Weibo as social platforms and potential learning tools. As I am also from China and has a Weibo account as well, I find your post very relevant.
I agree that while these platforms can enable access to a wider range of information and knowledge outside of the classroom, some technical aspects need enhancement to make it more usable.
One thing I want to raise is the fact that both platforms, especially Weibo in this case, are subject to governmental control and propaganda. This makes them less than ideal tools that facilitate learning, because the information that can be accessed and seen are often those with some sort of agenda. I consider this bad for learning because it defies the whole purpose of education — the seeking of truth. In the case of Weibo, we are all aware of the tight government censorship that limits what’s shared. In Twitter, while it is not as obvious, this also exists as often times only public figures’ and celebrities’ voices are heard. If what we see is only what we are allowed or made to see, this seemingly “open” environment that is supposed to enhance learning experience is not cultivating open-mindedness at all.