Many adults with social media accounts check in with their online networks as part of their everyday routine. The platform with the largest percentage of daily users is Facebook; as of 2019, 74% of adults connect with their network on Facebook seven days a week compared to 63% and 61% of those with profiles on Instagram and Snapchat, respectively. YouTube attracts just over half of its social networking population each day while Twitter draws in 44% of its microblogging audience daily (Pew Research Center 2019a). Many social media apps have features that ensure users are alerted when someone on their network interacts with their post or sends them a DM. Parsing out the minutes of the day devoted to social networking, we see that the average internet user spends 2 hours, 22 minutes connected to platforms, which reflects an increase from 2 hours, 20 minutes in 2017 (Pew Research Center 2019a). An examination of social media usage around the globe reveals the Philippines has consistently ranked number one for the highest average of time spent on social media over the last few years; in 2019, Filipinos clocked an average of 3 hours, 53 minutes each day; by comparison, Americans spent an average of 2 hours, and 3 minutes social networking that same year (Statista 2020). Accounted for in part of this number are young adults with social media profiles. As college students work to fit classes, homework, and other activities into their daily schedule, a number are carving out time to connect with their virtual networks.
Friends and family are not the only ones seeking to connect on social media; many colleges and universities have created profiles on a myriad of platforms to reach both current and potential future students. Specifically, when it comes to prospective students, social media is a viable recruiting tool. According to one study, by 2012, 92% of the top 100 institutions in the US were using “social media in conjunction with their official websites” (Greenwood 2012). In addition, the convenience and affordability of using social media as a marketing tool is an added advantage to institutions working hard to balance budgets.
Social media not only serves as a virtual magnet to draw students onto campus, in many ways it helps to promote student engagement. Several institutions, such as University of Delaware, University of Central Florida, and Colorado State University, encourage campus influencers to capture experiences ranging from move-in day to game day to off-campus road trips (Kay 2019; McKenzie 2019). These social media posts offer a front row seat into the lives of students at their respective institutions; they serve as a virtual tour without the scripted appeals from campus faculty, staff, and administrators. Some institutions, such as George Mason University and Temple University extend control of the campus social media platforms to students for a day (Stroller 2016; McKenzie 2019). The choice to entrust this responsibility to students demonstrates the bond between the institution and its students. Furthermore, it can serve as an incentive for students to envelop themselves with school spirit in hopes of also becoming a social media ambassador.
Colleges and universities are helping students break into the lucrative business of social media. Some are offering courses centered on becoming an influencer to help students sharpen not only the focus on their hand-held cameras, but also their strategies. University of Southern California offers a course on “influencer relations,” in conjunction with the institution’s school of communications and an on-campus club (Rosenblatt 2020). For those college students interested in earning more than just a few credits on subjects related to social networking, some places of study are offering degree programs in this burgeoning field. Several institutions are combining a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a concentration in social media. At the graduate level, some universities are offering master’s degrees in social media (Somers 2016). Many educators and administrators recognize the role that social networking plays in the lives of most. Designing collegiate courses and programs that provide students with a portal into the digital world is a growing trend.
Social media plays a pervasive role in the lives of those pursuing higher education. It serves as a constant virtual companion for many with wide-ranging implications that can make the difference between succeeding and being set back as an undergrad or graduate student.
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