It’s no lie that social media has taken over the lives of many Millennials and Gen Z’s. Whether it’s Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or even Tinder, we rely on these platforms as a means of expression and communication. Twitter specifically can be very useful for a multitude of reasons, whether for a belly laugh, a vent session or information that allows for political participation. On Twitter, in a matter of seconds, you can go from seeing an informational tweet relating to activism to a tweet that is a pointless meme or relatable quote. Overall, Twitter is a platform for facilitating communication with people around the world. There is such a variety of knowledge here that leads to personal growth and meaningful connections. As a college woman, there are certain accounts that I think are extremely useful and just flat out fun to follow. Here are some of my recommendations (login to Twitter and prepare to follow).
- @sheratesdogs
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The first account is one that I am a huge fan of and I check their tweets on the daily. Sheratesdogs is an empowering and comical work of art, at least in the Twitter-world. It is real life, relatable content that is funny but also manages to pack a punch. It exposes men, not in a man-hater kind of way, but in a way that showcases the crap we have to go through and put up with as women on a daily basis while adding a comedic twist. At this age, in college especially, women experience a LOT in terms of interactions with the ‘male species’ and this account finds a way for girls to support girls while also showing that you’re worth so much more than some stupid message you received. In addition, it is a means of standing up for women and “breaking down the patriarchy one tweet at a time,” as I like to say. Sheratesdogs is also great because it includes a mix of media in terms of the content they post and re-post. Whether it’s text messages or Tinder conversations, Instagram posts, Reddit conversations or regular old tweets, this account does it all. If you’re looking for a place to talk about something you heard or experienced, connect with other women, empower yourself and others and have a good laugh, please check out this account, I promise it won’t disappoint.
- @dog_feelings
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This next account really is a shining light and a way to brighten up your day. We all love dogs, and we all love seeing a good boy or girl on campus every once in a while. But, this account takes that love to a whole ‘nother level. Not to be too prim and proper, but the formatting and wording on these tweets are absolutely impeccable. This account is supposed to be run by a dog and so the way the tweets are written showcases a dog-like humor and form of communication that is SO GOOD. It is hard to explain what a dog would talk like, but this account somehow manages to actually formulate sentences in a way that you think dogs would. One of my absolute favorite things that this account says is “goob morning”. It is so simple, but yet so funny and always manages to make me smile when I wake up in the morning. Anything involving a dog makes it 100 times better, so please follow this account and prepare for a good ole’ grin and chuckle.
- @motivation
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It is super, super important, especially at this point in the year with midterms and all, to find a means of inspiration and motivation. Now, inspiration and motivation are found and cultivated by people in a variety of ways. Whether you write messages on sticky notes for your mirror, listen to podcasts, or write in a journal, finding something to keep you going is super important. Personally, I think finding something that will utilize your phone to inspire you is great because whether you want to admit it or not, you ALWAYS have your phone on you. So, having something on your phone guarantees that you will see it at least once a day. Following a Twitter account like @motivation allows you to not only see positivity and motivation on your Twitter feed but also if you turn post notifications on, you can get a general notification on your phone whenever they tweet. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, why would I want to follow something so cheesy and cliche? But honestly, sometimes it’s the smallest and most basic things that mean the most and manage to have the biggest impact. School is hard, life is hard and the going gets harder during certain seasons of life and any semblance of motivation and inspiration is highly necessary. Now, if you don’t like this specific account, I understand. But find SOME sort of motivational account so that your Twitter feed has just a little bit of positivity that facilitates passion and drive.
- @Your College, for us – @UWMadison (obviously)
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This next account I recommend isn’t necessarily the funniest or most exciting, but I still think it is very important, and that is your university’s account. Following the Twitter and other social media pages of your university allows you to stay up to date on current campus issues, stay involved, hear about events and connect with the campus you’re on. You can have tweets that go from safety warnings to sporting updates, to information on exciting events taking place on campus. Following these accounts allows you to connect with your campus on a deeper level and is a simple and effective means of staying up to date and knowledgeable. It can also be a way for you to voice your concerns and connect with the campus or campus officials to bring to light certain problems or issues you want to be changed. Interacting with your university’s Twitter can be a means of activism and a way to make a change. Overall, the account is multifaceted in its’ uses and a very important account to follow and keep up with.
- @UN_Women
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This next account is one that is very near and dear to my heart and one that has helped me grow not only as a woman but as a feminist and member of society (wow that sounded overly dramatic). @UN_Women is an account centered around gender equality, women’s empowerment and feminism. There are also various subsets of this account for different countries which allows you to narrow down the content you see based on where you are or where you want to learn about. This account, or these accounts rather, allows you to get informed and learn about current events and issues relating to women and the topics listed above. Coming to college, I was extremely ignorant, naive and uneducated, and this account has been one of the extreme changes for me. It has motivated and inspired me, but has also educated me and helped me grow and learn which I am so grateful for it. I know, I know, this all sounds extremely cliche, but I truly mean it. Now, this obviously is not the only account where you can get involved and get educated on these topics and I am by no means saying you have to pick this one. I personally really enjoy this account because it is so culturally diverse since it is a worldwide account. But, find an account that you enjoy, that you relate to and that inspires you. Educating yourself and getting involved are the first steps in making a change. Let’s get out there and showcase our girl power!
- @ChrissyTeigen
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Alright, this next account is one that is already famous so most likely you already follow it, but if not, leave this article now and FOLLOW IT. Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter account can be explained in two words. Comedy. Gold. Whether it’s videos, pictures or regular tweets, the posts that Chrissy makes on Twitter are next level amazing. She is so honest and open, which makes her posts relatable. This ‘relatability’ is so important nowadays, especially with celebrities because sometimes it can feel as though people like her lead these gold-plated, perfect lives. But, in reality, they are people too, and they go through a lot of the same stuff we do. Chrissy is a sister, a daughter, a mother, a wife and a woman. She is all these things and more, which allows her to relate to so many people on so many levels. She is so blunt and straightforward in her tweets. This is something that I respect and something that I look for in Twitter accounts. I like that she doesn’t beat around the bush and she doesn’t hold back. Whether it’s tweeting about her husband, John Legend, stealing her iPhone chargers or her getting in an all-out Twitter brawl with the President, Chrissy does it all. She is a modern-day image of not letting people try to silence us because we are women. She says whatever she wants whenever she wants and she doesn’t apologize, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
- Any sort of news account – find the one that fits you best. Here are some that I found were rated highly: @cbstopnews, @cnnbrk, @slate, @breakingnews, @bbcbreaking
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The last and final account I think all college girls should follow is some sort of news outlet. Now, the account you follow will depend on who you are, where you are and what you believe. So, rather than assuming one general news outlet for everyone, I listed a few of the most highly rated ones that I found on Google. Regardless of which you already follow or which you decide to follow, some form of news outlet and basis of knowledge about what is going on in the world is extremely important. These news accounts are a way to stay up to date on current events and get informed so that, if you want and choose to do so, you have the ability to participate in political discourse and understand the current political climate. As college students and young members in today’s society, it is important for us to be informed and participate in politics in one way or another. Our opinion matters, our vote matters. But, the first step in doing this is to learn and to understand what is happening. Educating yourself allows you to become more knowledgeable and an overall more well-rounded member of society. I came into college knowing absolutely nothing about politics, so finding simple and accessible means of educating myself and exploring my political beliefs, like social media accounts, allowed me to grow in my beliefs, but also to form new ones. Politics are a continuous learning process, but taking small steps like following Twitter accounts are easy ways to begin.
Well, there ya go, there are some of the Twitter accounts you should follow, especially if you’re a college girl. Now I know not everyone likes Twitter or even has Twitter, but for those that do, I hope this helped a bit if you were looking for some new people to follow. There are SO many amazing Twitter accounts that can be used for so many things and it is so important to fill your feed with a variety of accounts. Having a variety allows you to get educated, get motivated, get involved, meet new people, and just have a good ole’ laugh. Social media can be a very negative and overwhelming space, so make sure you find accounts that uplift you and help with personal growth. Because at the end of the day, all of these resources are here to make a positive impact and it’s up to the users to make that possible.