Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2021, over 4.26 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost six billion in 2027.
Virtual interaction on social media doesn’t have the same benefits as face-to-face interaction and can negatively affect mental health overall. But, social media has advantages that fly under the radar, allowing people to communicate and stay up to date with family and friends, find communities and people who share similar interests, raise awareness on important issues, seek emotional support, and discover valuable information.
Many companies and institutions, including higher education, have adopted this global phenomenon. In colleges and universities, social media is used in various contexts, including language learning, writing development, after-class discussion, synchronous and asynchronous communication, community building, and curricular tools.
The use of social media in higher education is changing the nature of the relationships between students and teachers and provides a unique interaction stage among students themselves.
How Social Media Helps Students Learn
Technology is redefining how students connect, collaborate, and study. A recent study found that more and more teachers and professionals are incorporating social media into their classrooms to engage students and support their educational development.
Specifically, nearly 70% of faculty use social media at least once a month or more. And of the faculty that use social media, 41% use media in their teaching. Active use of social media in the classroom, which has been primarily passive in the past, is on the rise.
Professors may use any of the following social media platforms as learning tools:
- Blogs: to share and discuss information
- Twitter: to encourage open forums and debate
- Zoom: to engage more deeply with the material and each other
- Google Docs: to help store and refine data
- LinkedIn and other social networks: to help to build connections
- YouTube: to create both course and student presentations
Social media promotes self-directed learning, which prepares students to search for answers and make decisions independently. When reinforced in a classroom setting, professors can use these media skills to guide and refine better learning outcomes and overall critical awareness.
A Research Gate study found that using social media can increase learner engagement levels (student-student, student-instructor, and student-content) and promote the development of cognitive and meta-cognitive learning skills, such as reflection, critical thinking, construction of knowledge, and understanding of one’s individual learning process.
The inherent design of social media supports the development of learner self-directedness, a capability essential in preparing lifelong learners for the complexities of today’s workforce.
For students who value teamwork and collaboration with peers, social media allows them to manage their learning environment and connect and collaborate outside institutional boundaries.
The primary method today's students use to communicate vastly differs from how students communicated even ten years ago. Current students largely depend on internet access and are driven by mobile technology.
Research suggests that although face-to-face interactions are essential, students prefer technology-mediated communication over all other methods. Therefore, communication specialists highly recommend that schools utilize social media and mobile apps.
The 2016 article titled “Social Media in Higher Education” stated: "Nowhere is the use of social media more evident than in the practice of higher education. Facebook started at Harvard University to connect students, and its use has expanded steadily since its inception in 2004. What started at one university for one group of students has now stretched to other platforms and extended to include virtually all communities throughout the world.”
How Colleges Can Utilize Social Media
Besides social media for learning and teaching, colleges and universities can utilize social media to create awareness and advertising. Social media is one of the critical components of marketing plans for higher education, as it is an ideal way to showcase the campus, student life, and academic and extracurricular opportunities.
Social media provides a perfect platform to highlight new courses, research and teaching staff, and campus facilities in an attempt to attract more students.
Therefore, the first step universities should take in crafting a social media strategy is to determine their target audiences, including prospective undergraduate students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, graduate students, or continuing education college students.
A recent Pew Research Center study uncovered that YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%), and Snapchat (59%) are the most prominent channels for young adults, which includes high school students considering college.
And a 2017 TargetX Social Admissions Report found that 63% of students use social media during the college search process, and 60% have followed or liked a college they are interested in attending. Specifically, Instagram is an excellent way to display vivid images and videos of the campus, students, and the neighborhood.
In October 2022, Tufts shared its commitment to democracy with an Instagram video series spotlighting its faculty.
Higher education can also use social networks to maintain connections with graduates. Many schools maintain social accounts specifically geared to alumni relations—for instance, Facebook accounts to bring together alumni from specific cities.
Social fundraising campaigns also empower alumni, students, staff, and faculty to be active advocates for the school, like Columbia University’s annual Giving Day campaign.
Lastly, institutions could take advantage of user-generated content (UGC) as more and more students become active on various social media platforms. There are plenty of authentic student posts to help boost overall engagement.
Students generally use hashtags that are popular and relevant to their specific school. For example, a student at the University of Alabama may include the hashtag “RollTide” in a post about campus life. Or a student who uploads a picture with a Boston College sweatshirt may tag the college’s social media page. Promotional clothing items organically promote the university.
Communication, collaboration, good relations, and a sense of belonging are vital aspects of university life. Social media allows students and staff to connect and cooperate in an approachable manner.
