Diversity as a term has begun to get a bad reputation over the last decade, and in many ways, it has often been something that people have historically feared. However, diversity is a gift to everyone who supports and engages themselves with it and in some ways even those who don’t. With diversity comes a wider pool of knowledge and understanding for all parties involved, because diversity and inclusion ultimately sets the stage for collaboration. This is also important because we as humans are more likely to revert to what is comfortable, and for many of us the people we grew up with and the environments we’re familiar with are those where we stay.

The internet and PLNS present an opportunity for individuals to look beyond their own experience, an act that seems simple but has the possibility of breaking down long held class and education barriers and open our world up for more of the population. PLNs are also adept at adjusting their delivery depending on their audience. Different individuals learn in different ways, or may be drawn to different forms of media. Digital PLNs have the unique ability to be multimedia and reach all these individuals in the way that best suits them and their learning needs.

In a PLN, diverse voices are incredibly important for getting a broader more global perspective but those advantages do not just exist on that scale but are relevant on a more local stage as well. In a community scale we can have incredible diversity, and establishing a PLN that discusses issues that are relevant to all and brings forth different perspectives and experiences can create enormous unity and understanding in a world that can feel very polarized. Markiel Simpson and his background was the perfect network in order to launch a campaign. His experience in BC housing is very relevant, and his unique voice as a young black Canadian only add further credit to his experiences and thoughts. For Simpson, twitter has been a huge advantage towards building his PLN and a platform in which to share his voice and experience. Clark and Aufderheide commented that “People come in as participants and leave recognizing themselves as members of a public— a group of people commonly affected by an issue, whatever their differences about how to resolve it.” (59). The power the public has as a unit is much more significant than the power we have as individuals, and harnessing PLNs as a way in which to bring together those from different perspectives and walks of life together into that more powerful unit.

Works cited

Jansen, S., et al. “A New Vision For Public Media.” Media and Social Justice, edited by Jessica Clark and Patricia Aufderheide, 1st ed., London, United Kingdom, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, pp. 55–67.