There’s always a new wave of news about the dangers or distractions of social media, but really, it’s a staple in the collegiette life these days. Although “Catfishing,” privacy concerns, and worst of all FOMO (fear of missing out) are potential pitfalls of the vast world of the Internet, it can also bring much more to our lives, if used correctly. Here is how to make the most of your time on social networking sites.
1. Facebook
Best used for the obnoxiously long photo albums without filling up a new feed, and of course as a glossary of pretty much every acquaintance since birth, Facebook is becoming the home of the casual Internet creep. Because it’s the easiest to classify people by location, school, work, or mutual friends, Facebook is becoming less personal. It has moved from interactive toward more of a stoic background profile for many. Facebook is where most people probably have the widest audience, from family to old and new friends, so keep it updated with exciting news like a job or relocation, but try to hold back from overly personal or emotional posts.
2. Twitter
Make the most of Twitter by keeping it short and sweet and streaming daily musings that would be too random and informal for statuses. The absolute best part is re-tweeting. Back in the MySpace days, borrowing inspiration from a friend’s profile was basically considered treason; now it’s a compliment. In addition to keeping up with friends, theirs a multitude of celebrities who always interact with twitter followers (including our own Tebow!) as well as hilarious novelty accounts like @yourawaymessage, which gives us a refreshing throwback to the AIM days of Laguna Beach and Backstreet Boys themed posts. There’s literally no limit to the account creativity in Twitter, so please skip over the celebrity parody accounts!
3.Instagram
Although it gets a fair share of typical group and friend photos, Instagram is set apart from other social media sites with the focus on detail that it invites. Countless drool-worthy food photos, the smallest details in an outfit, and personal nature shots all make Instagram it’s own little world with you as the photographer. Instagram is a great development because it encourages everyone to add a little grace and style to their everyday lives. Instagram also shares the phenomenon of hashtags with twitter, giving us all a good enough excuse to post embarrassing “throwback Thursday” pictures of friends back in high school, or even better, while they were going through puberty. The one faux-pas on Instagram- screenshots of a long-winded paragraph from your notes application! That’s definitely not what it’s meant for.
4.LinkedIn
LinkedIn isn’t as widely used as the more social sites, because it’s a career focused website, but it can be an incredibly useful tool especially for getting started networking for collegiettes beginning their careers. If you’re going to start one, include only a few professional photos and personal information, and make sure to upload your resumee! LinkedIn also offers a big help in keeping updated contact information with past references, so make sure to add all of your ongoing internships or involvements! This site documents and alerts you to who views your profile, so Internet stalking is strongly discouraged. Seriously, only use it for work purposes. Period.