How a college student is using social media to build connection and belonging on his campus
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to discuss this important topic with your students in class, if you feel it is appropriate.
Students today are turning to social media to learn about and speak up on important issues. Whether online activism takes the form of starting a viral challenge, fundraising for a nonprofit, or sharing news headlines to spread awareness, social media is one of the top ways students are contributing to causes they’re passionate about. This form of digital activism works: 77% of people say social media is a very or somewhat effective tool for creating long-lasting social movements.
Brett Schultz, a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), is one student harnessing social media’s power to change his community. After recognizing that many UNH students felt lonely, homesick, or like it was difficult to make friendships — existing issues made worse by the pandemic — Schultz has designed a new social media and e-commerce platform called Connector. Connector’s vision is in the name: Schultz hopes the app will help students build relationships and communities at UNH.
Connector is one example of a student using their mic for good, or using social media and technology to enact meaningful change. While Schultz’s background in entrepreneurship motivated him to build his startup, students can take many different paths to enact positive change depending on their interests and strengths. Educators can empower students by helping them discover what causes matter most to them, helping them decide the best platforms to share their voice, and connecting them with networks and resources to maximize their impact. Let’s dive into Connector and see what we can learn from Schultz’s experiences about how to best support students in using their mics for good.
Connector: A new, empowering social media platform
With Connector, Schultz is taking social media back to the basics to solve social isolation at UNH and beyond. The platform will allow students to create and join special interest groups to meet and talk to like-minded students at their school. For example, a student passionate about Ultimate Frisbee could make a group for the sport that others could join to connect and get to know each other. Student organizations can also advertise events and other offerings on Connector.
Schultz has pointed out that all social media platforms are used to emphasize these interest groups and genuine bonding but have felt pressure to focus more on advertising to make profits. Connector offers an online marketplace where students can sell goods like textbooks or school supplies to stay financially sustainable without excessive advertising. This feature has the potential to keep the app profitable, as online marketplaces can generate income by charging sellers a small fee. Schultz believes that Connector’s marketplace can also help alleviate students’ financial concerns as selling goods is a simple, low-stress revenue stream.
“With traditional social media or like attempts at student engagement apps, we’ve found that it’s an ingenuine solution… What we’re trying to do is build a genuine solution that solves the problem of social isolation while also having a sound business model,” Schultz said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel; we’re trying to change the model.”
Building an app from scratch presents challenges. While Schultz took the initiative to learn how to build websites and install plugins, he also entered multiple entrepreneurship competitions to earn funding with which he could hire developers and other experts to help get Connector off the ground. Additionally, Schultz sought placement in a media outlet covering startups and technology’s annual 25 Under 25 list to market his product and has networked with students and mentors at UNH’s Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center to solicit additional support. In other words, Connector relies on Schultz and an entire network of people and organizations.
Innovations like Connector demonstrate the potential of technology to solve important issues facing students today. Whether it’s social connection, like for Shultz, environmental sustainability, diversity, or something else, there are no limits to the kinds of advocacy students can become involved in through social media and tech. By harnessing their creativity and connecting with others to help move their ideas forward, students can create solutions meaningfully impacting their communities and beyond.
How educators can empower students to use their mic for good
Schultz shows the amazing things students can do with the right passion, plan, and support system. However, many students struggle to feel they have the power or means to enact positive change. Educators can empower students by guiding them to recognize their strengths, knowledge, and ability to make a difference using the social media platforms many students use daily. This recognition can give students the confidence and motivation to engage in advocacy.
Here are our tips for helping your students feel ready and excited to use online platforms for good:
- Encourage students to reflect on their passions, vision for the future, and how they could leverage their skills to make a difference. All students have causes they feel passionately about and talents they can bring to the table. Help students recognize how their passions and skill sets can intersect to drive change.
- Educate students on influential student-led movements. We can learn a lot from what has worked before. Expose students to student-run social campaigns from history and encourage discussion on incorporating some of these activists’ strategies into their advocacy. Additionally, having role models close to their age and from similar circumstances can boost students’ confidence in their abilities and influence.
- Design an in-class advocacy activity. Encourage students to design a hypothetical social media campaign. Deciding what messages to put forward and how to present them in a simulated, safe environment can make the real thing less intimidating.
With these strategies, educators can empower students to use social media to enact positive change. To dive deeper into this topic and uncover more ways to use social media and tech for good, check out our lesson, Using social media to tackle some of our generation’s biggest challenges.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
How can students use social media and technology to make a positive impact in their communities, similar to Brett Schultz’s efforts with Connector?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.