Something that I have learned from my college experience is that Facebook is everywhere and inescapable. Even if you are one of those individuals who take pride in the fact that they dwell of the grid, Facebook will still find you eventually. Before attending college, I had no idea just how essential having a Facebook account could be in a university setting. I, like many of my peers in high school, had a Facebook account prior to coming to college but lead to believe that Facebook was on the decline. Nobody used Facebook and the fact of the matter was that Facebook was just not cool anymore. Everyone would much rather use other social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat as a way of connecting with friends. Now that I am in college, I find myself logging into my Facebook more regularly then I did in high school. I started to wonder why that was. I took to the very platform I was intrigued by and asked a few of my peers of how they used Facebook in college and how it was different than how they used Facebook in high school. I learned that many college students treated Facebook differently than other social media platforms since they view it less formal than their Linkedin accounts, but more a little more formal than a Snapchat or Instagram. By asking a few of my peers, I was able to get a better sense of how college students use Facebook to network and share their content. Here are a few of their responses:
The Importance of A Facebook Friend
Before starting college I never anticipated was the importance of a Facebook friend. I always took Facebook friends for granted until I realize that it was a great way to get to know people in my community. I came to realize that having a Facebook friend could be an invaluable resource and a great way to get in touch with someone if needed. Adding classmates or other peers on Facebook is a great way to remain in contact with them if needed without the tedious step of trying to track down their phone number or email address.
Promote your work
Do you consider yourself an artist and looking to gain an accessible audience? Facebook can be a great resource to make that happen! Promote your work on Facebook to not only share your content with your friends and family but also with people who are unfamiliar with your work. Due to Facebook’s “share” option, your content has the potential to reach a greater audience than just the people in your immediate circle. Your work would have the potential to reach people who would not normally have the opportunity to see your work.
Use the platform to make announcements to the community
More and more people are turning to social media to get their message across than ever before. Why not try it out for yourself? Facebook can be a great platform to get your message across and make announcements to your community. Instead of trying to communicate your message with people individually, just post your announcement or question as a Facebook status. You would be able to reach a lot more people in a more efficient way then trying to contact people individually.
Find other people with similar interests and build a community
Do you have a certain interests or hobbies and looking to form a community and meet other people with similar interests? Why not try your hands at creating a Facebook Group? Facebook groups are a great way to but not a lot of people in your community Join facebook groups with premises that interest you.
Facebook events and invitations
Have something you are passionate about and you want to let people know when and where? Look no further than the Facebook Events and Facebook Invitations. Facebook events are a great way to advertise your event and get the biggest possible turn out on campus. It is also a great way to remind people when and where an event that you are a part of is taking place and what time it starts.
Share Content you are Interested in
Facebook can be a great platform to foster a community. Not only is a great way to get your work out there, it is all a great way to read the work of others. Like and share the content of your peers and with others while content similar to your own. It is a great way to see what other people are a point in the field and allows you a to interact with them in a way that is not always possible with traditional publishing.
