Casting a Wider NetUsing Social Media To Improve Scientific Research, Communication and Outreach

Christie WilcoxPhD Student, Cell and Molecular Biology

Science Writer/Blogger

The Connected World

of Americans use the internet

78%

more than

The Connected WorldIn 2000…

360,985,492 users

In 2012…

2,405,510,175 users

…an increase of more than 660%!

Internet = InformationWhere do you get most of your news about national and international issues?

PEW Research Center, Dec 2010

Internet = InformationWhere do you get most of your news about national and international issues?

(< 30 yrs old)

PEW Research Center, Dec 2010

Internet = Information

University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey (2008)

Where do you get information on specific scientific issues?

The Internet is the main source of information for learning about specific scientific issues such as global climate change or biotechnology

Social Media = Internet on Steroids

15,358

tweets per second when Italy lost to Spain in the

2012 European Championship

684,478

pieces of content shared every

minuteon Facebook

of video is uploaded to YouTube every second

1 hour

57% of Americans say they talk to people more online

than they do in real life

17% of all time spent online is spent on

social networking sites

In 2011, social media overtook looking at porn as the number one online activity.

50%

All The Kids Are Doing ItClose to 90% of 18-30 year olds have at least one social media

account…

… and almost a third will check their

networks before they even get

out of bed.

Internet = CommunicationDo you use social media?

PEW Research Center, Feb 2012

Digital Water Coolers

• Chat• Discuss• Share• Gossip• Debate• Connect• Keep In

Touch

The Internet is Yours!

One Size Does Not Fit All

Facebook, twitter, etc are tools — their use depends on the job and your goals

One Size Does Not Fit All

≠ ≠≠

What works for others may not be right for you!

Social Media Landscape

Social Media Success Stories: NOAA

Website TrafficStatistics:

Social Media Success Stories: Roberts Lab

Social Media Success Stories: Roberts Lab

Social Media Success Stories: Roberts Lab

Twitter Success Stories: Live-Tweeting An Expedition

“We had arranged a text to donation number, and I tweeted that every dive in

PNG cost us about $5USD and that $5 donations to support the expedition could

be made by texting the number. That single tweet raised a couple of hundred

dollars.”

Joshua Drew, lead scientist

Be Creative

Filtering The DelugeThe key to success is filtering.

You have to accept the fact that you cannot, and will not, see everything.

Christie Wilcox

PhD Student, Cell and Molecular BiologyScience Writer/Blogger (Science Sushi)

Twitter: @NerdyChristie

http://christiewilcox.com