On July 11, Aaron Dewald, director of the Technology Initiative at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, was interviewed by the Deseret News on the College’s use of social media and technology in education.
“The College of Law was one of the first schools on campus to embrace the power of social networking and social media,” Dewald explains.
Dewald believes the article is relevant to his work at the College of Law because it focused on a potential “filter bubble” that some of these networks can facilitate — connecting like-minded people rather than expanding users’ horizons by offering different perspectives. “With the advent of Google+ this is especially relevant.,” he says. “When search results are tailored to your interests and your friends’ interests, a potential ‘birds of a feather’ situation can occur and stunt the intellectual and cultural growth of a student, professor, or any other professional. “
“This is not to say social media is dangerous, or doesn’t have a role in law or legal situations,” he stresses. “This can be useful in some situations. We only need to look to Egypt to see the power social media has for spreading the word and informing others. We just need to aware of our existing biases and make sure we’re using the tools the right way for the right reasons.”