4 Things College Presidents Should Know about Social Media
by Brandon Croke on 17/12/11 at 9:55 pm
Last week my friend Mallory Wood caught my attention when she shared an article by Michael Stoner asking for feedback from the higher ed community on what a college president should know about social media.
After seeing the post (an important topic in my opinion) I started writing a lengthy comment below, but I didn’t want to be the guy that writes a novel in the comments section and thought this medium would be more appropriate.
I have a few issues with framing the question solely around the term “social media” and think a more important question would be: What do college presidents need to know about the digital revolution?
I know, I know, I work for a “social media” company and love Twitter as much as the next guy (probably more) but framing any issue around ”social media” limits the conversations to a misguided and artificial box. That box is surrounded by the shiny icons of today’s hottest social networks, the usual suspects like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
The real question
We’re living in an age of digital disruption. Look around. Can you go a day without your Smartphone, e-mail or Internet? I know I can’t. Digital has much broader impact than social networks, as digital continues to engulf almost every aspect of our lives. From our music, to our relationships with each other, the new world of always on, instant access to any information should lead us to be asking a lot more questions of each other and our social media consultants.
Below is my list of things I think presidents should know about social media and the digital revolution.
1. Digital literacy is the currency of the 21st century
Last week I saw a statistic: “The United States only produces 38,000 new computer science graduates each year to fill 144,000 new job openings.” Although programming is just one of the talents in high demand, designers, writers and marketers with digital chops seem to have fewer problems finding job opportunities, than my non-digital friends.
From my experience (as a digital native and 09 graduate) university heads are not in a position to provide the digital training required for today’s job market. I still remember the day one of my marketing professor’s mocked my new found love of twitter and blogging as an effective marketing channel. Young people who understand digital trends are a huge asset in a rapidly changing job market.
However, “understanding digital” must go beyond what is required to get a job these days. We also must educate young people on how our everyday technology works, who creates it, why, and what their goals (and our goals) are in using our mobile phone or social network.
2. “If you are using a free product, you are the product”
I’m guessing most young people today don’t think twice about the services they use and share their personal information with. To paraphrase Douglas Rushkoff in Program or Be Programmed, to a 12-year old Facebook may seem like a company that wants to help you make friends, however these companies are simply out to making a profit of you and your data.
“The Internet is changing the species in ways unprecedented since the birth of the printing press, but instead of optimizing our machines for humanity,” he warns, “we are optimizing humans for machinery.”
These companies wake up everyday looking for ways to get more eyeballs on their screens and more attention from our children. Schools have always been fighting to keep students attention, but even the best teacher is no match for that enticing buzz of a text message or the oh-so-urgent red dot notification in your Facebook inbox.
With these traditional technology companies only out to make a buck, I ask your university to think twice before encouraging students to follow you on every social network under the sun.
3. Social networks are powerful stuff
While reason #2 may sound like I’m anti-social networks, I actually believe these technologies are incredibly powerful and like anything else in the world can be wielded in good or bad ways.
Looking back we realize our 24/7 connected devices, with glowing screens, and constant interruptions are as addictive and unhealthy as other drugs that are now deemed illegal. If you recall cocaine in the late 1800′s/early 1900′s was once seen as a great medicine endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon-General (not to mention sold in the original Coca-Cola.)
Numerous studies show young people are already addicted to their phones, and after reading The Shallows, what the internet is doing to our brain – I learned about some of the latest research on how digital habits can permanently change brain patterns and development.
4. Our digital future
Today I stand at the top of the world. I’m working at an exciting education company, in a space I’m extremely passionate about (social networking), in one of the coolest cities of the world (San Francisco). Still there is a little voice inside of me that asks. “Is this it?”
While I believe wholeheartedly in our product direction (from both a student and institutional benefit), I often wonder where our digital future will take us?
Some studies show students today are more anxious than ever and have lower empathy levels than generations before us. On the other hand, I’ve also met so many college students today with inexplainable amounts of talent, intelligence and empathy for the world around them.
As our country tries to recover from the deepest recession since the great depression, there is an opportunity to create wealth and provide education access to millions of people on a scale never before possible in history. The training young people receive at your university is one of the last chances they will have to ask questions, debate, and critically think about the world and how we should organize it.
I ask we have deeper conversations than figuring out how many more students we can get to like our Facebook page.
What do you think?
To some my points may seem rambling, idealistic, and even contradictory to previous points, however I think these are just areas I’d like to hear more conversation about.
I understand colleges (like the rest of America) are facing tough times with uncertain futures. Running an organization must be one of the hardest things in the world, especially one with such a long history and that plays such a critical role in our society.
My two questions I have for anyone working with colleges, students and social media:
1. Is social media improving student outcomes?
2. If we don’t teach our students digital literacy, who will?
