The media landscape has changed dramatically since the dawn of the digital age. The emergence and popularity of social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, podcasts, blogs and vlogs have resulted in information being spread faster and more broadly than ever before. This symposium will highlight the influence of these new media outlets on the world of food safety, while providing multiple opportunities to learn how to effectively use social media as an effective communication tool. Topics chosen for this symposium will collectively teach the audience how to effectively use social media outlets to communicate important messages to a broad audience, especially for raising awareness and increasing food safety education. Instances where social media has had a profound influence on public perception will be presented, which will allow the audience to learn how to effectively respond to crisis situations involving these new media outlets. Examples of how social media is being used at the university level, both in a research setting and in a classroom setting, will also be presented. The digital age has had a profound impact on data acquisition, even spawning new fields such as “digital epidemiology”. The audience will learn how digital tools, such as internet search queries, are being used to monitor disease trends in an attempt to improve public health. By the end of the symposium, the audience will have a greater appreciation for the major impact that the ever-changing media landscape has had on both food safety and our society as a whole. The various topics chosen for this symposium will educate the audience to better understand how to use social media as an effective communication tool.

Presentations