My life as an SU student: social media's impact

As a college student, I am an avid social media user. I have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Pinterest and Linkedin, and I use YouTube very often. I can barely remember a time when social media was not the immediate "go-to source" for the latest news and current events, or simply the primary procrastination tool used by young adults.  These various outlets undoubtedly have benefits, as major news has broken on Twitter time and time again and networking has taken the Internet by storm both socially (through Facebook) and professionally (through LinkedIn).

For me, there is a delicate balance between spending just enough time on social media and too much time there. Though tweets can be used scholastically and professionally and Pinterest can be used as an organizational tool that fosters productivity, I find myself all too often overwhelmed by the number of distractions that are just a smart phone or computer screen away at all times.

The impact of social media on my life as an SU student has been both positive and negative. These channels have allowed me to connect with friends, classmates, professors and even guest speakers and visiting professionals while providing a platform for me to share thoughts, opinions, photos, and even specific details – like my whereabouts and the details of my resume – with my virtual network. I have become much more interested and engaged in news and current events during my time at Newhouse through the use of Twitter, and have paid close attention to the dos and don’ts of crafting my personal online brand in order to put my best foot forward both socially and professionally. As a passionate sports fan and sport management student, social media (especially Twitter) has made it easy to stay up-to-date with information like scores, in-game updates, fan opinions and predictions, and rumors and reports by journalists, bloggers and fellow fans. I have also been able to get a better sense of the personalities of my favorite media professionals, athletes, celebrities and bloggers by sifting through their daily updates and photos, and have had the chance to communicate directly with them – something that would be unlikely to happen "in real life."

However, my once-rare tendency to procrastinate or get distracted while trying to work on assignments or read has definitely become more of an issue due to social media. The 24/7 news cycle on Twitter, endless supply of do-it-yourself project ideas on Pinterest and constant stream of activity on my Facebook and Instagram feeds are all simultaneously blessings and curses. I am thankful for the instant availability of breaking news updates, plethora of new opportunities to share my thoughts, and possibilities to reach wider audiences, but sometimes I just wish there was a master “off switch” so I could enjoy more frequent face-to-face conversations or read a book outside in the sunshine in peace  without the temptation of tweeting a picture of it to my followers!