world view Social media communication is a nonstop academic conference for all Jens Foell recently changed careers and began working fulltime for maiLab, Germany’s biggest science communication YouTube channel. In this World View, he shares his experiences as a science communicator and discusses the advantages and challenges.

Credit: Marisa Benz

cientific meetings are essential to knowledgeable researchers saw it as their that science communication is presently , providing a framework for duty to use their valuable personal time to still less supported, less accepted, and less Srapid communication and exchange communicate their science to the interested developed than scientific research itself. that cannot be matched by the scientific public, and some of them gained a large I will be glad to spend the rest of my process. They are also important following by doing so. (Less luckily, the same working days attempting to remedy this. hubs for social interactions, with often can be said for some charlatans spreading One personal reason for doing so is that life-long friendships and professional misinformation.) Once the pandemic is over, I want to inspire future researchers the way collaborations emerging among researchers. the landscape of science communication that the sci comm of my youth inspired me. At the same time, science journalists will have shifted towards social media in an At the same time, I now realize the flaws of use these meetings to learn about latest unprecedented manner. these earlier projects, such as an embarrassing developments to report to the general public. While these changes pose considerable lack of diverse voices, which pushes me to So it seems odd that many do challenges, the development also brings with try and improve, rather than replicate, the not seem interested in, or even aware of, it exciting new opportunities, one example past sci comm efforts that I enjoyed and the large-scale academic conference that is being the increase in accessibility and respected. One thing that I firmly believe is: if taking place right under their noses. inclusivity on display. In contrast to scientific the average member of the general public can I am referring to science communication meetings, neither travel funding nor group only name white male scientists, or attributes (or ‘sci comm’) on social media, which membership are required to take part in the to them the findings and successes of women consists of statements and exchanges that academic exchange on social media. Young and minorities, this is as much (or more) a fulfill all the functions of academic meetings students contemplating possible career failure of science communication as one of described above. Researchers post lab paths today have a plethora of ways to find science itself. Every time a stands in equipment on Instagram, methods tutorials information on prospective fields, as well as front of a camera, or of an elementary school on YouTube, commentaries on Twitter. They advice and encouragement, and are often able class, or goes online on a public forum, they answer questions on ResearchGate, post to identify and contact relevant researchers represent not only their own research, but job offerings on LinkedIn, and summarize within minutes. In essence, communicated also science and academia in general. A big their findings on TikTok. In addition, new science is becoming more widely accessible part of my motivation in sci comm is to features that can be used for novel ways and, as such, more relevant to society. reflect upon this responsibility and how it has of broadcasting keep being introduced This rising awareness and relevance helped me evolve my own views about the and implemented on existing platforms, of science communication has certainly scientific establishment. such as Snapchat and Clubhouse. Taken left an impression on me as a researcher. Just like other academic conferences, together, the last years have seen the Just like many other scientists, I grew up the continuous one on social media can online emergence of the entire spectrum learning about science through educational seem intimidating and exhausting if you of personal and professional scientific TV programming and non-fiction books. don’t have any contacts or don’t know your exchanges usually found at academic However, it was only as an adult working in way around. But just like with the others, conferences. With one striking difference: research that I realized the importance of by the time you leave the meeting you’re the public, which is traditionally excluded this type of public outreach. Furthermore, often inspired by the people you’ve met, from scientific meetings, is listening in. And this new focus on communication felt the presentations you’ve seen, and the new not only that: as social media are built to more like a calling than a burden to me. methods you’ve heard about. I think it’s time facilitate interaction, many of the audience So, after having worked in brain imaging for you to drop by. ❐ are commenting and asking questions. for more than a decade, in 2020 I moved The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed countries and changed careers in order to Jens Foell ✉ this development to a dizzying degree. be a full-time science communicator. I was Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. Countless people of all ages had a strong lucky enough to find a position in the most ✉e-mail: [email protected] motivation to learn basic and advanced successful sci comm team in my country, elements of epidemiology, virology, consisting mostly of PhD-level former Published online: 26 May 2021 immunology, molecular biology, and the researchers and with more than a million https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01138-0 general workings of the scientific process, regular viewers. My main motivation for this and many turned to social media for drastic change in direction, and for taking Competing interests information. Luckily, a solid number of the risks that come with it, was the notion Jens Foell is also a freelance science communication trainer.

812 Nature Human Behaviour | VOL 5 | July 2021 | 812 | www.nature.com/nathumbehav