Professional development in the digital age. Benefits and constraints of social media for lifelong learning

This paper presents an overview of reviews of the literature on the opportunities and constraints of social media use for professional development. The objective is to map the studies in the field to identify possible research gaps and, in tandem, to indicate future directions for effective and safe use of social platforms for lifelong learning. The study is based on Ebsco, WoS, Scopus and Google Scholar search, and on the adoption of explicit criteria for the selection of relevant studies, i.e. literature reviews published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 2009 to 2019 with a specific focus on social media for professional development. Thirteen pertinent studies were identified that were analysed with respect to the theme and nature of the reviews. The results of the selected studies were also coded in terms of benefits and constraints.