Liberal Arts on the Warpath: Using Social Media to Defend Big Ideas

by Kim Schutte
 
The Liberal Arts have been taking a beating recently. Especially since the economy took a nosedive, the push in higher ed is toward the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines; the thinking being that these are more likely to result in a job [an assumption that is far from the truth, but that’s an argument for another day].
 
Is anyone willing to stand up for Liberal Arts? 

The answer is yes. Though some of the most brutal attacks have been launched on social media platforms, so have some of the most cogent responses.
 
It turns out that Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms can be used for more than sharing cute kitten pics. You can use them to defend the really BIG ideas.
 
Do You Want Fries With That?
 
A painful salvo came on the Twitter feed of a popular online nurse-training provider: “I have a degree in liberal arts. Do you want fries with that?” If this had been tweeted by some poor geek in his parents’ basement, it is likely that the Ivory Tower would have ignored it. But this feed had more than 4,000 followers. It couldn’t be ignored.
 
So The Council of Independent Colleges created its own Twitter account in the name of “Libby and Art” to defend the honor of a liberal arts education. Libby and Art provide links to serious commentary on the importance and practical applications of the liberal arts. There are clear indications that the campaign is having an impact on peoples’ thinking.
 
Going Big on Facebook
 
Evolution has a Facebook page. It’s a good page too. It has lots of solid science content and a little bit of humor. And it pulls no punches: “The Fact of Evolution. Well evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty.”
 
It is possible to use social media to do more than discuss crock-pot recipes. It is possible to use it to engage over deep issues and to advocate in a thoughtful manner for important ideas.
 
Do you think that big ideas have a place on social media or is this just another example of the dumbing down of society?

IMAGE CREDIT: UWDIGITALCOLLECTIONS