Student influencer Samantha Nelson highlights the importance playing to your core when using social media
One of the Seven Social Standards that The Social Institute believes in is: Finding Your Influencers. This means surrounding yourself with positive role models who support you and encourage you to play to your core. To help students find these positive and credible influences, we began our Student Influencer Program. Each week we select a different student to take over our Instagram and highlight how they act as a positive influence and inspiration in their communities.
This week, we are excited to introduce Samantha Nelson. Samantha is a Sophomore at Tusculum University in Greeneville, Tennessee. She is a History major and is planning on continuing her studies in graduate school. Samantha is a 2021 Ledford Scholar at her school and is currently and undergraduate researcher under a Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) grant. Outside of academics, Samantha uses social media to stay in contact with her friends from all over. She has moved all around the country and is so grateful to be able to stay in touch with friends even after she has moved. Samantha uses social media to highlight parts of her life that make her happy, including her friends and nature, and tries to always keep her posts upbeat. She wants to encourage everyone to post content that is positive and is good for themselves and others.
Recently, we interviewed Samantha to learn more about her and how social media impacts her life. Here is what she had to say:
What do you value about yourself or others?
I value my self-worth and morals. I believe that it is super important to stay true to your values and also value yourself. Being too hard on yourself isn’t beneficial.
What are your personal goals?
My goals are to travel and have new experiences and go to graduate school. I am hoping to travel to Korea to study abroad sometime within the next year!
What are the things you try to accomplish each day?
Each day, I try to have my space clean. In a clean living space, I noticed I work better and am less stressed. This includes (trying) to make my bed when I wake up in the morning. I also believe that working in a clean space is better for your mental health.
What or who inspires you most?
My friends inspire me the most. The friends I have met in life push and challenge me, and I could not ask for better.
How has social media acted as a positive influence on your life?
Social media has acted as a positive influence on my life in that I can keep in contact with people who live far away from me. I can keep in touch with them while living my daily life in another place, and for that reason I am grateful for social media.
Of our Seven Social Standards, which one would you most resonate with and why?
I resonate with ‘Play to Your Core’ the most. On my Instagram page, I post mostly nature pictures or pictures with the people I cherish most. Those are the things I love most in life, and I post them because it makes me happy to look at my Instagram page and know that I am being true to myself.
If you could go back and talk to your younger self, what advice would you give to her about navigating social media or social relationships?
I would tell her that you do not have to feel pressured to join social media just because you want to fit in. When I joined Instagram in middle school, I was not doing so for me, but so that others would like me. I would tell her to wait a little longer, until she knew that she wanted to join for her and no one else.
Finding positive influences is so important. I used to think it was cool to not care or follow people who felt the same, and it just made my overall health worse. Surrounding yourself with positive influences is the best decision when dealing with social media, so feelings like insecurity won’t come up as often and it can improve your overall health.
The Social Institute partners with schools nationwide to empower students, families, and educators to positively navigate their well-being, social media, and technology. Schools access our student-respected, turnkey curriculum through WinAtSocial.com, an interactive, gamified learning platform. With solutions for students, parents, and educators, we offer a systemic and comprehensive social media and student well-being program through a unique and positive approach. We are proud to serve public and independent partners such as Ravenscroft School, Woodward Academy, Oldfields School, All Saints Episcopal School, Lake Forest School District, Boston Public Schools, and more. For more information on how to empower your students to make high-character decisions online and off, please contact us.