By Tala Alsharif and Raeghan Hilton / Jambar Contributors
Social media plays a major role in students’ everyday lives and there are many ways students can use social media platforms positively to minimize its negative impacts.
Allison Centofanti, associate director of communications in the Office of Marketing and Communications, said it’s important for students to have a clear strategy of what they want to achieve with social media.
“Understand what your goal is. What do you want to accomplish, what do you want to use this tool for and who are the people that you want to reach? [Break] it down into smaller pieces, a manageable strategy and a manageable goal,” Centofanti said.
Additionally, she encourages students to be mindful of what content they want to see on their feeds and filtering content based on preferences.
She said despite the rise of promoted, unrealistic and polished content, younger generations are pushing back and prioritizing authenticity.
“There is this sense of realness that we haven’t seen in a long time on social media, where people are acknowledging this,” Centofanti said. “They’re saying, ‘These [ads] are not realistic, this is not an expectation that I can live my life by.’”
Centofanti said students should manage their time spent on social media platforms to avoid burnout.
“Pay attention to that and start to realize where you are allocating a lot of your time during the week,” Centofanti said. “If you’re ending your weeks feeling totally drained and burned out, maybe it’s time to start moving some things around.”
Office of Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Savannah Sheely emphasized the importance of seeking out content that makes students feel good.
“It’s not a very competitive kind of content. You just see it, you like it, you engage with it and you move on,” Sheely said. “It’s not something you sit there and dwell over.”
In addition to being mindful of content preferences, Communications Coordinator Garett Sah said students should utilize social media platforms for connecting with others.
“People can make friends, people can get out there and research any information they need on any organization they might want to join,” Sah said. “It’s an important logistical tool, especially for first-year students.”
Adrienne Sabo, founder and director of Clever, also believes social media creates a digital community that brings people together.
“Even if it’s just digitally, you’re able to connect with people that have the same interests as you and share your experiences,” Sabo said. “It could also be really great for sharing knowledge and information.”
Sabo pointed out students can find content creators that give them tips in the job search field, such as how to create a resume.
“Find the ones that are niche to what you want to do or what’s related to you,” Sabo said. “You just have this wealth of information at your fingertips.”
Sah said social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, are great networking tools.
“There really is no end to who you can contact or get into contact with, and how that can help you professionally or as a student,” Sah said.
