Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Manhattanville College.
Zaiah Sampson is a third-year undergraduate student studying Computer Art and Design at Mercy College.
Cheyenne Seymour, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at Bronx Community College. Her areas of research include social media, rhetoric, and public speaking.
Carlton Smith, MEd is a doctoral student in the College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA-D) doctoral program at the University of Georgia with research interests centering on the intersections and linkages of social media and sense of belonging within marginalized communities.
Jacquie B. Smith, JD is a special needs advocate. She produced and moderated the documentary Deinstitutionalization and Community Integration: The Long Road for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (2015). She is also the author of two novels, All I Need (2001) and The House on Monroe Street (2009).
Kharoll-Ann Souffrant, MSW is a PhD candidate in Social Work at the University of Ottawa. Her doctoral thesis focuses on the #MeToo and #BeenRapedNeverReported social movements from the perspective of Black female survivors of sexual assault living in the province of Quebec.
Jennifer van Alstyne, MA, MFA is a communications strategist for faculty and researchers and owner of The Academic Designer LLC. She is a Peruvian-American poet and independent scholar.
Michael R. Williams, EdD is the Assistant Director of the Student Success Center at Virginia Tech and serves as the Scholar in Residence for the NASPA Men & Masculinity Knowledge Community. His scholarship focuses on Black masculine identity development, social media content, and social justice implementation methods.
Tyjuana Wilson, MA is studying to earn a PhD in Communications at Regent University. She is a freelance copywriter, blogger, and host of the podcast “Single and Happy in Charlotte.”
Lisa M. Wisniewski, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and a Universal Design for Learning trained Teaching Fellow at Goodwin University. She has published on early career development and has a growing expertise on Millennials and Gen Z in the workplace.
Thomas Witherspoon, EdD is the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Whitman College. As senior leadership, he supports students, faculty, and staff in building capacity for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Biography
Cheyenne Seymour
Cheyenne Seymour, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Communication Arts &Sciences at Bronx Community College. Her areas of research include social media, rhetoric, and public speaking. Dr. Seymour is an experienced television news producer with a passion for sharing information that can positively impact individuals and communities. She has earned a Doctorate of Education from New England College, a Master of Arts in English from Trinity College, and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Arts from Long Island University. Dr. Seymour enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures.
Introduction
Pervasiveness of Social Media in Higher Education
Many things come to mind when we are asked to think of higher education. Some immediately envision lecture halls, fast food, fraternities, pep rallies, parties, caps, and gowns. However, these days social media is as much a part of college life as homework. Over the last two decades, the percentage of college-aged individuals posting, following, and sharing online has constantly risen. In 2005, 7% of 18 to 29 year olds were using social media; five years later, that number grew exponentially to 76%; by 2019, 90% of people in this age group were using social media platforms to connect (Pew Research Center 2019a). Many modern-day college students belong to the group known as digital natives, due to growing up in a world with the existence of digital technology (Prensky 2001, p. 1). Undergraduates and graduate students’ lifelong relationship with electronic devices and digital media creates famriliarity with technology and in turn, enables many to comfortably use social media as a vehicle for culture, news, entertainment, and relationships.
Social media is a form of computer-mediated communication. When joining a social network, individuals create profiles that enable them to utilize the platform by viewing, creating, and sharing content. These Web 2.0 applications rely on user-generated content and allow people to build personalized networks in which they can exchange text, images, and videos.
Although social media is popular with college-aged adults, not all are racing to create profiles on the same platforms. Social networks vary in popularity depending on the age of the user. However, Facebook is favored by a wide range of age groups. Just over three quarters of 18 to 24 year olds have Facebook accounts (Pew Research Center 2019b). Co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin in 2004, Facebook began as a network designed exclusively for college students before allowing others to join in 2006 (Facebook 2020). Capitalizing on its success and the popularity of the virtual wall, which allows users to create a digital collage of their lives, Facebook has used additional social media tools as bricks to build its place in the world of computer-mediated communication. The company added Messenger in 2011, allowing users to send direct messages (DMs) to others on the network for private exchanges (Facebook 2020). A year after introducing this intimate communication feature, the company hit a milestone in popularity. “Facebook became the largest social network in the world, with more than one billion users as of 2012, and about half that number were using Facebook every day” (Hall 2019). Also, in that same year, Instagram was acquired by Facebook; two years later in 2014, WhatsApp, a text, phone, and video application, connecting people globally through WiFi, was purchased by the Zuckerberg led company (Facebook 2020). Facebook offers a myriad of ways for users to connect with others online. The platform offers asynchronous options that allow users to post and reply at their convenience as well as synchronous features that enable users to broadcast their lives in real time or call someone in their network without even knowing their mobile number.
Some groups of people are more likely to use Facebook than others. When it comes to this social site, those who have walked across the stage for a collegiate graduation are more likely to belong to the network. Specifically, of those who have earned at least one college degree, 74% use Facebook compared to 61% of adults who have obtained a high school diploma or less (Pew Research Center 2019c). When one graduates with a degree, they leave campus with an expanded network that may be sprawled out over a state or country, so social media provides a convenient way to stay connected. Furthermore, there is also a distinction between gender with Facebook users. In the US, three quarters of women use Facebook compared to 63% of men (Pew Research Center 2019c). By analyzing the predictors of social media usage, colleges and universities can identify methods to help their students navigate platforms in ways that will complement academic and professional goals.
By examining the Facebook activity of 13 to 17 year olds, there can be some insight gained on the social networking habits of incoming undergraduates. According to one study, “lower-income teens are more likely than higher-income teens to use Facebook” (Pew Research Center 2018a). A closer look into the data reveals the financial divide. Although many US teenagers often use similar social sites despite a breakdown of further demographics, 70% of teens raised on an annual household income under $30,000 have Facebook accounts compared to 36% of their counterparts living in a home with an annual income over $75,000 (Pew Research Center 2018a). Utilizing data on socioeconomics and social media usage can introduce ways for institutions to connect with audiences, such as first-generation college students, and share knowledge on academic programs and resources available.
Instagram is another popular platform with college-aged adults. Commonly referred to as “IG,” or “The Gram,” this social site is also synonymous with (a) short-lived stories that disappear from the site
