Social media is a wonderful tool. It is best known for helping us stay connected, share memories and find community. We all love to post our favorite pictures for the world to see. We want everyone to know what we wore to the dance or what University of Mobile event we attended.
It can open new doors in many aspects of life — especially with your education and career. As a communication major in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Mobile, I often think of how social media can change my life and the lives of others. Social media has given me the ability to share the content I create in my internship at the University of Mobile with the rest of the world. These platforms give me the opportunity me to boost my career and help others.
As social media continues to grow in popularity, many businesses, organizations and schools are turning to it to gain a better insight into applicants. They want the people associated with them to uphold the same standard of professionalism. Using social media allows them to assess applicant qualifications, professionalism and trustworthiness.
As you graduate high school, apply to graduate school or enter the job market, the content you post can affect your future in a positive or negative way. Here are some tips to help students responsibly use social media:
- Think about your image. How you portray yourself on social media affects more than your likes and followers. Potential employers and universities will look to this content to determine if you are someone that fits what they are looking for.
- Protect yourself. You should always avoid giving out your personal and sensitive information online.
- Be trustworthy. In many situations, whether with a job or university, you will be trusted with sensitive information that is not your own. Your employers or professors will expect you to keep certain information confidential.
- Be respectful. We live in a world where everyone wants to be heard, which is not a bad thing. However, you should always be respectful of someone else’s opinions or beliefs. It is okay to comment on something — which is why they made the comment section, but you must know when to draw the line.
- Be responsible. There have been many instances of misinformation and miscommunication due to lack of responsibility. What you put on the internet can and does affect the thoughts and beliefs of others.
Our parents always told us to be careful about what content we put online. As much as we may not like to admit that our parents were right, they were. You can still post your favorite University of Mobile content and selfies, but it never hurts to be cautious for the future.
Sydney Snow is a University of Mobile 2022 graduate with a double major in English and Strategic Communications and a minor in Spanish. During her senior year, Sydney interned with UM’s Office for Marketing and Public Relations. Today, she works at the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission with the Employment and Economic Development Services department. Her focus is on the Senior Community Service Employment Program.