Abstract:

The growing use of the Internet from any type of device, environment or moment, has motivated the rise of multiple communication platforms, the so-called Social Networking Services (SNS), which allow users to share information and be in permanent contact. In recent years, websites such as Facebook or Twitter are playing a key role in society, providing a range of possibilities beyond entertainment or leisure that could logically be exploited in the field of education.

In this sense, students in artistic disciplines are probably the most avid users of online communication, since there are different specific platforms, such as Deviantart, Pinterest or Instagram, that promote and facilitate both the dissemination and discussion of visual culture. In turn, the online debate that is created in these communities of Internet users can motivate critical thinking and therefore create a flow of exchange of opinions. A very enriching methodological process in which all ideas can be potentially useful for the development of a work.

This paper reviews the most widely used communication platforms in the artistic field and analyses the possible benefit of using Social Networking Services as a means of communication between professionals, as well as a means of disseminating works for the new generation of artists.

To this end, and based on a comparison of the characteristics and functions of different social networks, a series of advantages and disadvantages has been compiled that highlight both the limitations and the possibilities that each of these platforms can provide.

In the same way, a continuous survey was carried out during three postgraduate courses (2015-2017), focused mainly on Fine Arts students, and with the fundamental objective of evaluating different aspects related to the use of the platforms that they usually used for the diffusion of their works.

The results obtained from the analysis of the responses to the questionnaire provided to those attending the different courses, as well as from the study of the research work carried out so far on these online media, show that the use of these social networks is capable of reducing distance restrictions and breaking down barriers between different cultures, giving the user a wealth of resources, references and possibilities that transfer learning beyond the classroom. At the same time, SRS allows students of Fine Arts not only to spread their work easily and freely, but also to observe countless works of other authors, learn their techniques and contact third parties, thus expanding their possibilities in the world of work.

Keywords:

Social Networking Services, Artistic Education, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.