The impact social media and the internet have had on India off late is highly significant, thanks to - cheaper smart-phones, faster networks, reach to rural India, digital payments, WhatsApp, ecommerce start-ups, funding for technology and many more. Today, 95 percent of teens have access to a smart-phone, and 45 percent say they are online 'almost constantly'. YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. In addition to that, the impact of Digital India initiative by government has led to 3 lakh Common Service Centres, having created jobs and village-level entrepreneurs. While, the Internet users in India expected to reach 500 million, it is time to include Digital & Social Media Marketing in the curriculum of business schools and universities in India.
Although, there is a huge scope for digital and social in India, the supply of trained professionals in this sector is not meeting the current demands. There are several reasons for this scenario. Social media is not taught in B Schools, Universities or in colleges. Even though some universities have included it in their curriculum, the subject is not utilized to its full potential. Digital & social media is dynamic, it is updating almost on a daily basis. What about books on social media? By the time they are published, all the platforms would have updated/changed. To include this as a subject in our education system, there are a lot of challenges like policies, government approvals and hence I don't blame the educational institutes.
So many opportunities, and yet so little awareness
Well, here are a few things we can do: Hold more conferences, events to discuss these opportunities. Educate the educators. Start including social media and digital early in schools. Today, a 2-year-old is playing with a smart-phone, they grow with the internet which is amazing. But, this also comes with a risk. Privacy, Cyber bullying, Rumours, Fake news, Unwanted exposure, Addiction, Predators, Games like the blue whale and teenagers publishing their pictures videos without understanding the consequences are few among them.
Today's teenagers use social media extremely well for their personal use. However, when it comes to using social media for business, they are stuck. The situation today is different. A decade back, a teenager would not get an opportunity to sit in a boardroom, and that has changed today. Thanks to the power of social and digital. Today, a teenager is an entrepreneur, a developer, CEO and much more.
If you are an educator, here are the few things to help you get started: Learn how to blog. It takes less than 30 minutes to create a blog using WordPress or Facebook Notes or LinkedIn post. Encourage students to create a blog, share their passion or document their day to day life and use a free tool like Canva to create images for the posts on social platforms. Ultimately, teach them how to research.
Suresh Babu, CEO
Suresh is the Founder of Web Marketing Academy, Digital and Social media marketing training, certification and consulting academy for corporate and students in Bangalore. An alumnus of IIMB and IIM Kolkata, Suresh founded OME Community, a community of passionate online marketing enthusiast conducting monthly meet ups in Bangalore. With overall 20 years of marketing, teaching and culinary arts, Suresh works closely with NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore helping startups with online marketing strategies.
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