Originally presented at the University of Delaware in October 2015. This presentation discusses the developmental dimensions of college student engagement with social media and how to engage them online.

1. Using
SocialSmarts
SocialMedia
toEngageStudentson
@paulgordonbrown

2. (Turkle, 2004, para 6)
“I want to study
not only what the
computer is doing
for us, but what it
is doing to us.”
- Turkle

3. youth-normative
vs
adult-normative
perspectives
-Reynol Junco
@paulgordonbrown

4. NORMATIVE
adult
(Junco 2014)

5. youth
NORMATIVE (Junco 2014)

6. social media is a
TOOL
@paulgordonbrown

7. social media
is also a
CONTEXT
@paulgordonbrown

8. Social media is increasingly
understood
as a part of the
developmental
process.

9. DIGITAL
IDENTITY
?
@paulgordonbrown

10. confusion
there’s a lot of
with this word…
@paulgordonbrown

11. “Many student affairs
professionals use the term
digital identity
development to refer to
online professional self-
presentation; however, it
is important to tease apart
the differences between
using social media as part
of the exploration and
development of identity
and using social media to
present oneself in a
certain way.”
(Junco, 2014, p. 257) @paulgordonbrown

12. “Labeling the latter digital
identity development
confounds a developmental
process with a professional
communication strategy.
Furthermore, labeling online
professional self-presentation
digital identity development
may keep the field of student
affairs from more critically
and deeply examining how
the emerging adult identity
development process is
affected by online
interactions.”
(Junco, 2014, p. 257)

13. Digital Identity
Digitized Development
@paulgordonbrown

14. Digital Identity
@paulgordonbrown
is often

15. Psychological
Process
conflated with a
@paulgordonbrown

16. DigitalIdentity/
Reputation vs
Digitized
Development
What We Produce vs What We Are
What Other People See vs How We See Ourselves
Can Be Taught
Through Rules
vs
Must Be Learned
Dynamically
A By-Product Of
Development
vs
The Developmental
Process Itself

17. DigitalIdentity/
Reputation
Digitized
Development
ReciprocalRelationship

18. digital identity.
reputation.
presentation.

19. Self Presentation
Some use it to refer to

21. digital stamp

22. digital footprints
+ digital shadow
+ digital trail
digital stamp

23. digital footprints

24. digital shadow
https://flic.kr/p/mhf2SN

25. digital trail

26. digital footprints
+ digital shadow
+ digital trail
digital stamp

27. FROM THE WOMB!
We even have digital stamps

28. Mesut reflecting on what he was taught about
social media growing up:
“I feel like in high school I was always told…
“Be careful what you put on your Facebook.
Be careful what you put on your Twitter. Blah
blah blah. You know people might see it…
I had never took that seriously. I thought no
one’s gonna look at my Facebook page, you
know what I mean? Stuff like that. But it’s
crazy how serious that is—just being
conscious about the content you put on social
media platforms.”

29. We need to educate
students on digital
reputation.

30. digitized development.

32. You can take two
points of
view…

33. “human development
‘remain[s] much the same
from age to age and must
so remain as long as
human nature and
physical environment
existing theories
modify/apply
(Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010, p. 93;
Haskins, 1957)
continue what they
have been. In his
relations to life and
learning the medieval
student resembled his
modern successor far
more than is often
supposed’ (p. 93).”

34. (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010, p. 5;
Woodard, Love, & Komives, 2000)
“Rapidly changing
conditions within
society have created
dramatically different
circumstances for
students across time
and location…
student
development
must be
considered in light
of these changing
scenarios.”
develop new
theories

35. Applying current
theories to online/
social media contexts.
• Chickering
• Baxter Magolda/Kegan
• Bronfenbrenner
digitized development.

36. Vectorsof Identity Development
Chickering’s
DIGITAL

37. • Developing competence
• Managing emotions
• Moving through autonomy to interdependence
• Developing mature interpersonal relationships
• Establishing identity
• Developing Purpose
• Establishing Integrity
Vectors

38. Developing Competence

39. • Time management
• Facility in using online tools to complete
tasks
• Communication and interaction skills
• Relationship skills
• Not exhibiting humblebrag behavior
Developing Competence
DIGITAL

40. Managing Emotions

41. • Anger management - Thinking before
posting
• Dealing with depression - Self confidence
recognizing that social media posts often
only show the positive
• Expanding and expressing range of positive
emotions
• Not posting for sympathy or to elicit
response form others
Managing Emotions
DIGITAL

42. Autonomy & Interdependence

43. • Ownership over one’s online life
• Able to use social media as a tool for
action
• Finding information and resources
• Resisting peer pressure
• Consciously choosing peers and
relationships
• Basing relationships on equality and
reciprocity
Autonomy & Interdependence
DIGITAL

44. “And I like honesty in a relationship…
I’m not into playing games.”
Mature Interpersonal Relationships

45. • Able to engage in civil discourse through
comments and chats
• Understanding what online versus offline
relationship maintenance should look like
- acts appropriately
• Thinks about one’s posts and its impact
on others
Mature Interpersonal Relationships
DIGITAL

46. Marcia
Baxter
Magolda’s
Theory of
Self-Authorship

47. What is Self-Authorship?
A particular and relatively enduring way of
understanding and orienting oneself to
provocative situations in a way that:
1) Recognizes the contextual nature of
knowledge; and
2) Balances and guides this understanding
with the development of internally defined
goals and sense of self

49. Student
exploration of
social media.
Does not
understand how
online and offline
interactions can
impact each other.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Absolute
Knowing
2nd
Order
digitizedstudentdevelopment

50. Student
exploration of
social media.
Does not
understand how
online and offline
interactions can
impact each other.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Student
commitment to
social media.
Develops usage
patterns and
begins to learn
online cultures
and etiquette.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Absolute
Knowing
Transitional
Knowing
2nd
Order
2nd / 3rd
Order
digitizedstudentdevelopment

51. Student
exploration of
social media.
Does not
understand how
online and offline
interactions can
impact each other.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Student
commitment to
social media.
Develops usage
patterns and
begins to learn
online cultures
and etiquette.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Absolute
Knowing
Student develops
an independent
identity online
Begins to make
choices about
one’s own
representation.
Exploration is on
student’s terms.
Transitional
Knowing
Individual
Knowing
2nd
Order
2nd / 3rd
Order
2nd / 3rd
Order
digitizedstudentdevelopment

52. Student
exploration of
social media.
Does not
understand how
online and offline
interactions can
impact each other.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Student
commitment to
social media.
Develops usage
patterns and
begins to learn
online cultures
and etiquette.
Strongly
influenced by
authorities and
peers.
Absolute
Knowing
Student develops
an independent
identity online
Begins to make
choices about
one’s own
representation.
Exploration is on
student’s terms.
Student makes
conscious choices
about social
media usage and
how it fits into life
desires, outlook
and goals.
Realizes that
online life is a
constant
renegotiation
process.
Transitional
Knowing
Individual
Knowing
Contextual
Knowing
2nd
Order
2nd / 3rd
Order
2nd / 3rd
Order
4th
Order
digitizedstudentdevelopment

53. OwningRatherThan
BeingOwnedBy
SocialMedia

54. Liam discussing setting goals for social media
use:
“Understand why you’re using social media:
Why are you engaging in this app?
Why are you letting it consume so much
of parts of your day?
Is it to connect with friends?
Just helping get an understanding of why you
do it. I think limiting your amount of time on
social media is a good thing to talk about.”

55. SelfEsteem,
ExternalDefinition,
andPerfectedImages

56. !

58. IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE

59. IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE

60. IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE

61. Hallie discussing how social media creates a
perfected image…
“I think it was cool that [my professor] asked
us think about the highlight reel. Do we use
social media as a highlight reel of our lives and
how many times out of ten would you say that
you wouldn't post something because it's not a
highlight.
And all of us were like, “Oh, all the time.”
He was like, “Go through your day. How many
things would you post, and how many wouldn't
you?”

62. …I would just encourage [educators] to ask
their students about recognizing—not
necessarily changing it—but recognizing that
what they post, and what other people post,
isn't 100 percent their lives. Because there's a
lot of times when you think that people have
the best life ever because of what they're
posting. When in reality they're going through
a lot, and probably many similar things that you
are, but because they're posting all this fun
stuff, you think that their lives are perfect.”

63. Logan discussing how social media can harm
one’s self esteem and self image…
“Well I think the biggest problem I faced with
social media is… What are your goals from
social media?
What are you there for?
Is it to get updated on your friends and then is
that what’s happening?

64. …For me it’s like if someone asked me are you
really just doing it to… is it only furthering the
comparison that’s happening? Since that’s
what’s, I assume, causing my greatest
dissatisfaction at [college]. Seeing my life in
comparison to others. Why? Maybe it’s time
to reevaluate.
So thinking about what people are trying to get
at from their accounts and what they’re
actually being used for. I think it’s a helpful
thing to reflect on.”

65. Wherehave
youseenthis?
Whatarethe
implications?

66. Urie
Bronfenbrenner’s
Ecological Theory

67. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem

68. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
has relationships

69. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
family, student orgs, groups and
contexts…
has relationships

70. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
family, student orgs, groups and
contexts…
campus rules and cultures…
has relationships

71. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
family, student orgs, groups and
contexts…
campus rules and cultures…
has relationships
and broader societal belief
systems.

72. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
family, student orgs, groups and
contexts…
campus rules and cultures…
has relationships
and broader societal belief
systems.
Creating an overall context within
which interactions and processes
occur that impact a student’s
development through time.

73. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
“Although Bronfenbrenner
did not include computer-
mediated contexts in
which college students
now experience ‘activities,
roles, and interpersonal
relations’ (p. 16), in the
twenty-first century it
seems reasonable to
include these contexts,
which are not face-to-face
settings, in the definition of
microsystems since they
are sites where social,
physical, and symbolic
features may provoke or
retard engagement with
the environment, as
described by
Bronfenbrenner (1993).”
p.1

74. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
Online interactions with
other individuals are placed
within the microsystem
Microsystems are
where one-on-one
interactions occur.

77. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
is in network with others…

78. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
is in network with others…
is immersed in social media
site culture…

79. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
is in network with others…
is immersed in social media
site culture…
and is subject to rules and
decisions made by social
media designers…

80. Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem Macrosystem
is in network with others…
is immersed in social media
site culture…
and is subject to rules and
decisions made by social
media designers…
…and broader beliefs
about how the site
functions and is used.

82. context collapse
when physical and virtual worlds collide

83. examples
context collapse
• A someone comments on a social media
post intended for a different audience
• When a friend sees something online and
makes assumptions about your life offline
• When an online post is taken out of context
of the conversation surrounding it online

84. context collapse
learning

85. learning
context collapse
• Learning rules of digital reputation through
consequences
• Understanding the complex overlapping
nature of relationships
• Learn to with between worlds, relationships
and languages

86. Applying current
theories to online/
social media contexts.
• Chickering
• Baxter Magolda/Kegan
• Bronfenbrenner
digitized development.

87. Developing new
theory
digitized development.

88. “The major
achievement of
normal development
was a firm and fixed
‘sense of identity’”
- Gergen
Traditional theories held that…
(Gergen, 2000, p. 41)@paulgordonbrown

89. We no longer exist
as playwrights or
actors but as
terminals of
multiple networks.
-Baudrillard
(Baudrillard, 1987/2012, p. 23)@paulgordonbrown

90. BLURRY
HYBRIDIZED
SATURATED
The online profile
“is and is not the user.”
(Martínez Alemán & Lynk Wartman, 2009, p. 23)
a “rupture” or “a series of
decisive far-reaching
breaks from the past”
(Bloland, 2005, p. 125)
an “implosion”
or a collapse of
boundaries
(Baudrillard, 1981/1995)
“singularity… a future period during
which the pace of technological
change will be so rapid, its impact so
deep, that human life will be
irreversibly transformed” (Kurzweil, 2005)
@paulgordonbrown

91. Maria discussing her Instagram profile:
“I think it's who I am
but also who I want
to be and who I want
to become.”

92. Adie discussing her friend who is constantly
on social media:
“I guess she experiences a lot of fo-mo in
general…. it's like you're consuming other
peoples' lives through social media. I guess
that might appeal to some people, in a sense,
not that they're necessarily upset that they
missed the event that someone else was at
because that person posted at it, but you get
to experience what you were doing and what
your friend was doing based on their post. So
in a way it's like you're passing on that
experience.”

93. Question
Research
How do college students conceptualize who they
are and how they present themselves when they
are engaged in digital and social media?
@paulgordonbrown

94. Who are the “yous”?
@paulgordonbrown

95. Is there an online you?
Is there an offline you?
Is there a Facebook you?
Is there a Twitter you?
Is there a student you?
Is there a family you?
Are there multiple “yous” within them?
@paulgordonbrown

96. Are you a different person
in these contexts?
Are you the same person?
@paulgordonbrown

97. Are you a different person
in these contexts?
Are you the same person?
@paulgordonbrown

98. Projector
@paulgordonbrown

99. @paulgordonbrown

100. Parallel
@paulgordonbrown

101. Octopus
@paulgordonbrown

102. @paulgordonbrown

103. What is
digitized
selfhood?
@paulgordonbrown

104. HolisticSeparate
“DigitizedSelfhood”
Spectrum
@paulgordonbrown

105. Developing new
theory
digitized development.

106. some things to
thinkabout

107. (Turkle, 2004, para 6)
“I want to study
not only what the
computer is doing
for us, but what it
is doing to us.”
- Turkle

108. Maria’s advice for college administrators
educating college students about social media:
“I think I'd say not to phrase it as a cautionary
tale, because it’s something that we’re never
gonna listen to… we know we know more than
administrators with social media.
So I think it should be more about trying to
really understand how we use it, and not just
look at it negatively, because I think it's so
stigmatized, but really understand how to work
with it, because it's not going away.”

109. Ashley discussing being vulnerable online…
“I would definitely say that social media is a
way to hide your true self and feelings and… I
think people need to be aware of that and
reflective of that when they're on it. I also think
a huge part of social media is hiding your
vulnerability. I think in society today people
look down upon people who are vulnerable and
try to hide their vulnerability as much as
possible. And they think social media helps
people hide their vulnerability because they're
hiding behind it in ways.

110. I think the only way that people can become
more comfortable in their being vulnerable is
having conversations with others about being
vulnerable. So I think that that could be
something that college administrators could
start… help students realize in social media,
and just in college life in general, we need to
stop trying to hide our vulnerabilities, and
instead be reflective on them and realize what
they need and how you can connect to others
through them.”

111. Gatsby on the importance of colleges and
universities engaging through social media:
“I think having [official college social media]
accounts is really important—the likes, the
retweets, things like that… in a way it’s a
reminder in the back of your head:
‘There are important people that can see this.’
Which I don’t think is a scare tactic, but it’s just a
good reminder and something that colleges can
do subconsciously to show students more that
they care, but then also remind the students, be
smart about what you’re putting on your Twitter
or tweeting at [college], because they’ll respond.”

112. Engage with students on social media because
we need to understand them in all of their
contexts. Be open to a different (not
necessarily better or worse) way.
Learn from and with students how to navigate
the online environment. Help them avoid
mistakes. Help them understand their self-
presentation and reputation online. Be a role
model.
Understand how social media may impact the
developmental process-both in light of current
theory and in ways we do not yet understand.
Be able to help students understand, navigate
and leverage it.

114. break

115. You don’t
Expert
have to be an

116. broadcasting

117. engagement

118. Divisional Example.

120. Communication
Infrastructure
istock / getty images

121. integrated marketing
team managers
Kath Bukis
Print Shop Manager
Chloe Corsi
Manager
Catherine O’Malley
BSUlife.com Editor in Chief
Jessica Laudati
Design Team Manager
Emily Cohn
Video Team Manager
Laura Lawton
Social Media Manager
5 5 7
5 6 2

122. http://bit.ly/bsurccsmjd

123. http://bit.ly/bsusmguide15

124. http://bit.ly/bsusmmarketingworksheet

130. Best practices.

131. Who’s your audience?

132. All students?

133. A sub-population?

134. Parents?

135. Alumni?

136. Stakeholders?

137. Who’s your audience?

138. What are your
platforms?
@paulgordonbrown

139. What are your
platforms?
@paulgordonbrown

140. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
23
3437
53
87
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
18-29 year olds
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

141. Sex
Race
Age
Educational Level
Income
Employment Status
Urban/Rural
Which demographic breakdown
reveals the biggest disparity in
social media adoption?
@paulgordonbrown

142. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

143. Age
@paulgordonbrown

144. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Age comparison
18-29 yo
65+ yo
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

145. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Household income comparison
Less than 30k/yr
More than 75k/yr
30k-
30k-
75k+
75k+
75k+
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

146. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Race comparison
White Hispanic
Black
Black
Black
Black
White
White
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

147. 0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Sex comparison
Men Women
Women
Women
Men
Women
Men
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104 @paulgordonbrown

148. 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year
Quick to “friend” people
Want to appear popular
Self esteem is in part measured by likes
More likely to use Facebook
Communicates primarily with close friends
Understands need to get on Linkedin and make connections
Facebook is for lurking and events, but not engagement
@paulgordonbrown

149. What are your
platforms?
@paulgordonbrown

150. What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/

151. GoalModified from Gross, 2014

152. Be helpful?
Be a champion?
Provide information?
Modified from Gross, 2014

153. Identity
?
Modified from Gross, 2014

154. ?
The royal “we?”
Do we know who you are?
Or is it a persona?
Modified from Gross, 2014

155. Formality
Modified from Gross, 2014

156. LOL 😃 👍
Thank you for your inquiry.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Modified from Gross, 2014

157. Tone
Modified from Gross, 2014

158. Playful?
Sarcastic?
Authoritative?
Modified from Gross, 2014

159. What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/
Goal
Identity
Formality
Tone

160. CONTENT IS KING

161. Who’s
content?
developing your
#SAsocial

162. Matrix
Topic Examples %
ModifiedfromGross,2014

163. Topic Examples %
Leadership
Articles
Found on the Web; Added to our blog
from student class assignments
40%
Highlights
Profiles of staff, student leaders, and
highlights of student organizations
30%
Pride Photos Photos of our mascot, photos from events 10%
Deadlines
Informational: org fair sign-ups, last day of
classes, last day to drop classes
20%
Modified from Gross, 2014

164. CONTENT IS KINGCONTACT
@paulgordonbrown

165. followers
@paulgordonbrown

166. social listening
@paulgordonbrown@paulgordonbrown

167. ?
What are
your
learning
@paulgordonbrown
outcomes

168. Outcomes
1. Develop relationships with your students
2. Develop community
3. Model appropriate online behavior
4. Customer service
5. Marketing and information sharing
6. Reading student culture/discourse
@paulgordonbrown

169. Small Group Strategizing

170. some things to
thinkabout

171. it takes
TIME

172. Be consistent
Be dedicated

173. social media
isNOT
required
EVERY
time
@paulgordonbrown

175. Resources.