Back to School with Social Media - SeaVoices - Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) Publication

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28 Dec 2020

3 mins

Back to School with Social Media

‘Digitalisation’ has been the buzzword of many industries, and even more so with the new norm that has required the adoption of new ways of engagement and interaction. In a time where conferences and events are brought to an online space, people with less exposure to technology may feel disoriented and left behind.

To help members on this journey, SMOU organised a full-day workshop to guide participants through the basic functions of the video conferencing application “Zoom”, and social media platforms, “Facebook” and “Instagram”. The workshop was also a refresher course for some members who had attended our previously organised ‘’Zoom’’ and Social Media workshops. Fortunately for the students, using of mobile phones in this classroom does not involve detention and confiscation of devices!

The workshop was conducted under strict safe distancing measures and guidelines by Orchid Country Club to ensure the safety of everyone. On the morning of 9 December, more than 30 excited participants turned up bright and early with an eager attitude to learn.

The content helped equip members with skills to join virtual conferences and events, as well as communication with others through the Zoom application. Social media might come more intuitively for the younger crowd, but it was an eye-opener for the older participants who have had limited experience with the applications. Everyone got a hand at creating their own accounts and fiddling with the different functions on their own devices.

SMOU member of 7 years, Alex Chow said that he found the session on the Zoom application most helpful and is glad that “SMOU is keeping up with the times, knowing what is happening outside of the organisation, and out in the marketplace.”

Participants learned a new way to connect with their friends and families that day, and everyone left with greater confidence in social media and video conferencing.

“I have never used Instagram, and so it was an introduction for me. The different functions of the applications were very interesting to learn. SMOU really takes care of us very well, introducing a lot of events all throughout the year, and I enjoy them very much!” – Magdelene Boon, SMOU member of 37 years

“Today’s workshop was value-added for me especially since Singapore is on a journey to become a Smart Nation and our society is moving further into the digital era. The session was very good and enlightening, helping us to be relevant.” – Abdul Hamid bin Ismail, SMOU member of 39 years