THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT

The role of social media in reducing unemployment is perceived and well documented. 

I think the question about the possible sources of any academic material on the topic: The role of social media in reducing unemployment, is focused on one of the most critical issues facing almost every country in the globe today and it is expected to continue for some time or decades to come.

My response to the question has both specific and general sources of data. In fact, anyone who is unemployed can get a job via internet driven social media forum. These media are available, simple, easy to use, and value laden.

Let me begin by stating that unemployment or joblessness is caused by many sources or factors such social, economic, environmental, or political issues. At the same time, the social media have multiple channels or platforms that can be be employed to deal communicate or access all kinds of social, economic, political, or environmental information that anyone needs or wants to interact with.

A person can get freelance, part-time, or full time job online with a minimum investment of resources like time, money, skills, device, or cafe services .

As stated above, all the sources of most of or all our jobs or employments are classified under social, economic, environmental, and political jobs, employment, or occupation. We also know that the social media is a tool that can be effectively used to create and sustain any employment as well as to create or raise awareness of job opportunities at all levels globally.

Allow or permit me to share with you the idea that, access, use, or literacy determine our ability to seek and get jobs through the social media investments, facilities, technology, or infrastructure at personal, family or household, village, local community, county, state or national, federal,sub-regional, regional, and global or international levels.

Your question assumes that all the above are guaranteed, granted, or addressed already.I would like to go with your assume that, if all the barriers to unfettered access and use of the social media are eliminated to enable any able and willing user to seek, create, or perform any employment, then the following information can be used to address the above question.

It is also vital for me to explain in advance that, there are some basic preconditions or requirements for anyone to be able and willing to engage in a meaningful, gainful, or productive employment, with or without the social media.

These have to do with our levels of human capital development at individual, institutional, family or household, national regional, or global levels. Employment calls different levels of competencies in terms of education, training, experience, attitudes, practice, skills, availability, mobility, or locations.

With respect to the above, the social media, for example, can be used for accessing education at all levels such as from basic education to PhD education. In this case, it is a source education, funding or scholarships, or grants for education, opportunities for online education, training, and research or community outreach or collaboration opportunities.

I am also aware that the social media are the biggest sources of paid online jobs from simple home based jobs, teaching or training, multiple supervisions, selling or social marketing options, or research to international project partnerships or consultancies.

The social media by themselves are sources or factors of employments by themselves.For example, we need ICT technicians, teachers, curriculum, trainers, policies, institutions, engineers, scientists, facilities, software or programmers, internet cafes, content developers, dealers or industries, regulators, laws, investors, infrastructure, or all kinds of ICT end users.

If you look at the issues which I have identified in the above paragraph, you can see that see that all of them are related to all kinds of employments or jobs or occupations at all levels of the society. Some jobs are formal while others are private jobs. As you are well informed, the social media are used by almost all institutions or organizations in addition to individuals or households, communities, or businesses.

I would like to share with you my simple ideas about examples of what I stated as social, economic, environmental, or political issues which can employ the social media to create employments or jobs. In this case, I take job creation to decrease or eliminate unemployment.

So social issues include; educational, cultural, religious, information / communication, food, water, eneergy or power, security, accommodation, clothing, shelter, media, entertainment, movements, or health.

All these are sources of employment or jobs as they all use the social media to advertise jobs, recruit human resources, procurement services, or create poliicy awareness of emerging issues such as mainstreaming gender equality for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation, gender equality for empowerment of women and girls for sustainable development, and gender based analysis to promote gender equality at all levels of social, economic, environmental, legal, and political spheres of development. .

Likewise, economic issues include; incomes, investments, infrastructure, transport, land use, industries, business or commerce, technology, labour or employment, trade, or finance. At the same time, examples of environmental issues include; weather, climate, climate change or climate variability, biomass and biodiversity, forests and trees, water resources, wetland and natural resources, as well as their management, gree technology or funds, or energy sources.

Examples of political issues include; the government institutions at various levels, legal or regulatory systems, public participation, politics or political institutions, judiciary and judicial institutions, national institutions or agencies, local or state or federal governments.All these agencies use the social media to create jobs or employments.

In conclusion, if you reflect on all social, political, environmental, legal, or environmental jobs or employment today, the social media provide the pivot for all of them at personal, family, community, institutional, national, sub-regional, regional, global, or international levels of employment.

Social media awareness, literacy, access, adoption or diffusion, or use are vital for education of unemployment with a focus on gender equality for inclusive empowerment of women and girls to eliminate digital gender gaps for employment opportunities to achieve SDG 4, SDG 5, or SDG8 among others.

Regards, 

Sofonie Dala