As schools across the country deal with social media issues like missing soap dispensers inspired by the recent TikTok challenge, some schools are taking a unique approach to change social media culture. They are educating students by allowing them to create their school’s social media content.
School student social media teams and courses are a growing trend across the country. In the recent 2021 Social Media in Education Report released by Class Intercom, 23% of schools have implemented currently investigating student social media content programs in classroom or club settings.
After implementing a student social media content program at Northwest High School in Grand Island, Neb., administrators saw a shift in social media student culture. “Although other factors play a part,” says principal, Tim Krupicka, “disciplinary issues regarding inappropriate social media use have decreased over the last three years since beginning our student-generated social media program.”
By integrating social media programs, schools are educating students on how to become better digital citizens and giving them a sense of responsibility to be ambassadors for their school. “Social media is here to stay,” shares Class Intercom President, Dr. Jill Johnson. “We need to acknowledge that it’s nearly impossible to keep students from the influence of social media. What we can do is educate students on how to use social media for good and be positive influencers. The classroom is where we can drive constructive social media culture and authentic digital citizenship.”
Not only do these programs teach students to be better digital citizens, but they also help schools to provide more authentic social media content. Brandon Mowinkel, principal at Milford Junior-Senior High School in Milford Neb. sees the value of more genuine content coming from students, “By having students create content shared through social media, they are writing and sharing their own story and that of their peers.” Shares Mowinkel, “Students become a part of the larger narrative of the school which is shared publicly with the world.”
The key to successfully implementing student social media programs is a secure social media management platform to provide content collaboration, advisement, and approval. Social media management platforms, like Class Intercom, provide the tools to securely manage and approve content contributions from multiple students and faculty authors. Nearly 90% of schools with student social media content programs are utilizing a social media management platform and 0% regret implementing the programs.
“The Class Intercom platform makes these programs possible. It mediates risk and allows schools to securely implement student content creation and digital citizenship programs while maintaining control of school social pages,” shares Dr. Johnson. “It offers a secure environment for educators and advisors to provide students with both the freedom to create content and the structure to provide guidance.”
Class Intercom is a social media management platform designed for educational institutions to manage, coordinate, collaborate and monitor social media content and profiles. All data shared in this article is extracted from the 2021 Social Media in Education Report compiled by Class Intercom. To read the full report and learn more about Class Intercom, visit classintercom.com.
