Emerging scholars and social media use

Abstract

The ubiquity of social media for professional and personal purposes has proven both an asset to scholars in writing studies (broadly conceived) and, in some cases, a cause for concern. Recent news events suggest that institutional decision-making surrounding social media is reactionary, severe, and steeped in discussions of "risky behaviors." These events (and others) result in anxiety surrounding social media use among individuals and organizations. In this article, we respond to these concerns with an empirical, mixed methods pilot study that investigates the ways new and emergent scholars might mitigate potential problems associated with social media use. The article presents preliminary findings that destabilize rule-based approaches and introduce uncertainties and vulnerabilities that accompany social media use.