DU's proposal to introduce Facebook writing as a course

Now every time Facebook questions ‘What’s on your mind?’, Delhi University students can tell it best. As a part of Delhi University’s English Department draft curriculum for the upcoming academic years, students may have the option to study ‘Facebook Post Writing’. As a part of the skill enhancement courses (SEC), students will also be taught to write blogs, cover letters and proof reading.

We talk to social commentators, celebrities and professors about what they think of the university’s proposal to include Facebook posts as literary writing, who they think will be opting for this course, and in an age when social media as a course exists, should Facebook be specifically taught? Should social media writing be a part of academia at all?

‘Including Social media  in the curriculum is taking things a little too far’
Khyrunnisa, author
I  don’t think social media writing should be included in academia. Sudents do not need to be taught that as a paper. Social media is a platform where one can openly express their personal thoughts.ff as something positive, but now, with fake news on the rise, I feel the platform is being abused. On the other hand, maybe being taught to be responsible when it comes to using social media is a good thing, but I don’t think of it as being a part of the curriculum taught in educational institutions, which is taking things too far. There should be some sense of responsibility associated with social media, but this responsibility should come from a more personal level.

‘Why not let facebook be a place for fun posts’
Amish Tripathi, author
Facebook is a fun platform where people can connect with their peers. Writing Facebook posts was supposed to be engaging yet fun, but who needs guidance for that? Moreover, posts like these are supposed to reflect what someone thinks naturally, not what is taught to them over a period of time as a proper course. Why not let Facebook be a place for fun posts and not some serious, heavy literary content? I am not convinced that for one to express their thoughts on Facebook, they need to be a part of some course like the one Delhi University is planning to conduct.

‘We should embrace this’
Anand Neelakantan, author
A story can be told in any medium. So why not of Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? It still remains a story. What we now know as a novel, is hardly 150 to 200 years old. Especially in Indian languages, it is only 100 years old. But, we have been telling stories before even language was born. Storytelling devices have changed but the stories remain same. The medium doesn’t matter. People have been telling stories with puppets, through plays, opera, drama. In fact, social media is something that has liberated knowledge. I think we should embrace this change.

‘We are implying that there is a standard to cater to’
Sahana Das, professor, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
If we are looking at Facebook as a medium of interpersonal communication that is private and a chat forum, then each post is in the unique style of that person. The minute we make it an academic module, we are basically implying that there is a standard to cater to. Imposing a personality on individual styles — how can that be? But, if we look at Facebook as a social media marketing tool, then what is being taught is social media marketing and how to suit students to fit it into that format. For many people, Facebook is a personal forum, meant only for them and their friends. So, how can anybody teach that? And, who are we teach that?

‘The tech savvy generation may opt for a course like this’
Aditi Mathur Kumar, author
I don’t think it is a good idea. What is the idea behind a course like this? But, I think a lot of the young generation may opt for it solely because it is a tech savvy age-group — they know what goes viral and they also know how to make something viral. Social media courses that other universities offer have a lot to do with marketing and very little to do with creative writing. It will be better to know the nuances of the course DU is offering.

‘Social media platforms are where people engage than traditional platforms’
Devadas Rajaram, Mobile Journalism Trainer at Asian College of Journalism
I think social media skills should be part of the pedagogy for students. It’s skill we can’t ignore in the post-truth world we live in. It has added significance in India, where 60 per cent of the population is under 35 and Facebook has a large audience.

Brexit and Trump win are pointers and earning signs on how important social media skills are for a democracy. News literacy and basic social media verification skills are more important than social media writing skill. It should not be confined to Facebook alone. Twitter also should be a part of basic literacy considering it’s increasingly becoming a powerful means of communication for politicians, influencers and opinion makers. Media literacy is an integral part of education at all levels as social media platforms are where people are more engaged than any other traditional civic platforms.