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 →
The Secret Digital Lives Of Today’s Rising Freshmen
This American Life recently posted a podcast called "Status Update" that delved into the online behavior of three teenage girls who were entering high school. The girls spoke at length about Instagram and the complex rules that govern how they use it, how they maintain their social connections, and the "rules" of the "game" when... Continue Reading →
How Instagram Perverts The Developing College Student Mind
I came across these compelling images the other day and they immediately struck a chord with me. Thai photographer Chompoo Baritone posted them to his Facebook page. They demonstrate how Instagram photos often portray a selective view of reality--often a "perfected image" of life. In my research, I have found that one of the effects of... Continue Reading →
Social Media: The Musicals!
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 →
What Are The Most Popular Social Media Platforms for College Students?
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 →
SPOTLIGHT: University of Houston’s Social Media Strategy
The University of Houston is a leading institution in engaging with their students on social media. The following text and images come directly from the page they label "Why Follow UH?" which gives a number of great examples of how they're engaging their students. Check out their social media pages to learn more about what they're... Continue Reading →
3 Insights on College Student Self Esteem from “Let me Take a #Selfie”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdemFfbS5H0 In the three months since it’s release, the video "#Selfie (Let Me Take a Selfie)" has been viewed nearly 100 million times on YouTube and has gone into heavy rotation. Although tongue-in-cheek, the video reveals some surprising nuggets of wisdom regarding social media engagement, particularly around Instagram. It also provides interesting insights into the underlying... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Teaching and Training With Social Media and Technology
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 →