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A contemporary social practice in everyday life is the use of digital platforms such as Canva, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Facebook and other social media applications to communicate, collaborate and create content. These platforms have reshaped how individuals interact in professional, educational and social contexts, allowing real-time communication and enabling users to combine multiple forms of expression, including text, visuals, audio and video (Jewitt, 2008).

One defining feature of this practice is multimodality. Canva, for instance, allows users to design presentations, posters and infographics by combining images, text, icons and colors. Google Meet facilitates live video discussions, screen sharing and real-time annotation, enabling synchronous collaboration. Facebook and other social media platforms allow users to convey meaning through posts, reactions, emojis and videos. This multimodal environment supports richer communication and allows users to convey nuances that are difficult to express through text alone (Coiro et al., 2008).

Another key aspect is audience awareness and context sensitivity. Users must adapt their tone, content, and medium depending on the audience. For example, a discussion post on Google Classroom may be formal and academic, whereas a Facebook update or Instagram story is typically informal and expressive. Understanding these nuances mirrors real-world literacy practices where meaning is dependent on context and audience (Selber, 2004).

The implications for literacies pedagogy are substantial. Educators can use these platforms to teach digital literacy, including composing, evaluating, and interpreting multimodal texts. Activities such as designing a Canva infographic, presenting group research via Google Meet or posting educational content on social media encourage students to apply literacy skills purposefully. Moreover, such practices foster critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity, as learners decide how best to convey their messages across different platforms (Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2009).

In conclusion, digital platforms are not only tools for communication but also environments for learning and meaning-making. Integrating these practices into literacies pedagogy equips learners with the skills necessary to navigate multimodal, interactive, and context-dependent communication in contemporary life.

References:

Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. J. (2008). Handbook of research on new literacies. ResearchGate.

(PDF) Handbook of Research on New Literacies

Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2009). Tweeting the class: Using Twitter to enhance engagement and learning in higher education. Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 5(1), 1–17.

Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence

Jewitt, C. (2008). Multimodality and literacy in school classrooms. Review of Research in Education, 32, 241–267.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0091732X07310586

Selber, S. A. (2004). Multiliteracies for a digital age. Southern Illinois University Press.

https://www.siupress.com/books/multiliteracies-for-a-digital-age

Connecting and Creating: Digital Platforms in Everyday Communication