San Diego State’s School of Journalism and Media Studies is offering a new course in digital media literacy this semester.

“Social Media in the Digital Age,” numbered JMS 296, is open to all SDSU students. The class will be taught by assistant professor Rebecca Coates Nee, who specializes in digital and social media.

“I hear a lot from students that they know how to use social media, but they don’t know how to use it well,” Nee said.

According to Nee, the class will focus on four main areas of social media: the history and theory, ethics and responsible uses, legal issues and professionalism and creating content.

“I think the average college student is using social media just to connect with friends and family, but it’s so much more than that,” Nee said.

School of JMS director Diane L. Borden said although many students are comfortable in the digital realm, there may be ways to use social media they simply hadn’t realized.

“Many students may come to college as experienced users of digital and social media, but most have not yet had the chance to consider their role as creators, consumers, disseminators and critics of new-media content,” Borden said.

Nee hopes the new course will open students’ eyes to the power of social media.

“We just want students to learn how to use it as effectively as possible,” Nee said.

JMS 296 is a blended course, which means classes take place in person as well as online. Classes are at 11-11:50 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday for large lecture and at the same time every other Friday for discussion sections.

The remaining Fridays will be online meetings.