When I present to higher education professionals on college students and social media, I often begin by providing some basic statistics on social media platform use and adoption. My reason for sharing these statistics is to set the stage for our subsequent discussions. Age is by far the biggest determinant of overall social media use.... Continue Reading →
Every wonder what your favorite social networks looked like if they were translated into musicals? Probably not, but they exist anyways. Here are a few fun, funny and catchy musical numbers about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr.. and as a bonus... Google. Facebook: The Musical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2JhpNbe2Io Twitter: The Musical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr3Tl7T6fIQ Instagram: The Musical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-waJH2lUJ5M Tumblr: The... Continue Reading →
One of the important ancillary findings arising out of my research is the need to teach college students about choosing the best to communication method for the contexts they find themselves in and the goals they want to achieve. As the infographic above illustrates, different media have different levels of intimacy. They also allow for different ranges... Continue Reading →
The internet is open. This is both the beauty and power of the internet and the ugly side of the internet. Part of its beauty is that it enables peer-to-peer learning, the facilitation of relationships and the organic building of community. Part of its power is that it democratizes conversation without needing to go through... Continue Reading →
When I'm speaking and consulting, I frequently get asked by clients what the most platforms are and which one's they should be on. The question is actually more complex than just finding the most popular platforms. In part, your question should be: What do you want to do and what is the best social media... Continue Reading →
Can Facebook get you fired? You bet it can. This is the story of Kevin Colvin, a bank intern. Kevin needed to "go out of town" suddenly and sent his boss the following email: Well, the "something that came up at home" was actually just a party that Kevin wanted to attend. He posted photos... Continue Reading →
Liking matters on Facebook... and any other platform that uses a news feed algorithm for that matter. When people "like" something, it can mean many different things. It can literally mean you like something. Sometimes it's to indicate thoughts of sympathy or empathy (something that you don't really literally like, per se). Sometimes it just indicates... Continue Reading →
At least that I know of. Yesterday, I went to a Facebook friend's profile and noticed that we no longer friends. The last interaction we had was last week in some Facebook comments regarding an article I posted on issues of race in America. It wasn't an article about Michael Brown or Eric Garner, but a post by... Continue Reading →
Is there something that can be described as the "online culture?" I don't think so, but I do think that technology is structuring the way we think and interact and I do think that there are cultural norms broadly perpetuated and upheld. Online culture, although diverse, still maintains persistent themes. In describing how this first... Continue Reading →
Loyola University of Maryland started this very simple effort to promote their institution and develop a sense of community and belonging amongst their students. By creating pre-formatted Facebook cover photos, they are making it easier than ever for students to show their pride. Check out their landing page. Images are updated yearly for incoming classes... Continue Reading →
The new social network "Ello" has been getting a lot of press lately, so I thought this Wednesday's spotlight might be a good time to share some of my experiences with it. Is it going to be an EdTech tool any time in the near future? Absolutely not. Is the rise of interest in it... Continue Reading →
Being an instructor in the Higher Education Master’s programs at Boston College and Merrimack College, and as former Res Lifer, I’ve always been interested in how to advance student learning outcomes through the use of technology and social media in classroom and training environments. I’ll have the opportunity to present on both at the upcoming... Continue Reading →
Facebook Graph Search proves just how important building up your social network contacts can be. This new search feature, which has been slowly rolling out over the past few months, allows one to make “micro-level” searches. For instance, you can search for “my friends that like Lionel Richie” or “my family that visited Peoria.” These... Continue Reading →
Last week I started an experiment called the “6 Degrees of Esther Lloyd-Jones Project,” a play on Six Degrees of Separation and the popular “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game. I was motivated by the desire to see how small the student affairs profession is and discover the power of crowdsourcing on the internet. It’s... Continue Reading →
One of the more interesting phenomena I’ve come across in some of my research on college student interactions through social media is something I call the “Cult of the Like.” The “Like,” or the “Favorite,” or whatever your preferred social media network happens to call it, is a way of indicating agreement, acknowledgement, or affinity... Continue Reading →
On occasion I’m asked to sit down with student affairs professionals and departments to consult on their social media presence. What always strikes me about these conversations is that many view social media as merely a new form of advertising. Social media is actually far more complex and possesses a different set of rules in... Continue Reading →
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