social media – Houghton STAR

“Students have a lot of influence on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to social media at Houghton,” said Amy Tetta, Development and Communication Specialist. “Current students bring a certain aspect to social media at Houghton that I can’t provide. When students go on fieldtrips or have class experiences that I am not able to see, take a photo, and then upload it to Instagram, it gives prospective students a way to see what life is really like at Houghton.”

With the multiple social media outlets that Houghton College has, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and a Pinterest page, alumni, students, faculty, and prospective students are able to connect with each other from all over the world. Tetta said, “Social media is allowing students to have a voice in the community. I am always looking for fun photos that we can put on our Facebook page or Instagram of a student’s perspective on dorm life, the dining hall, and just everyday life at Houghton.” Senior social media intern, Meagan Hummel, said, “Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in society. Prospective and current students use social media all of the time.”

While social media allows for current students and alumni to stay up-to-date on upcoming events that are happening on campus, social media plays a role in drawing prospective students to Houghton. As an intern, Hummel manages the Instagram page and said, “it is more than just showing them [prospective students] the nature and what Houghton looks like, it is showing them what it is like to be a student. Things like SPOT, Chapel, concerts, art gallery openings, sporting events that make Houghton more appealing”. Felicia Rynzowski, a first-year student, said that as a prospective student, she noticed many of these student events held on campus through Facebook. “I like that Houghton posted things that students were involved in,” said Rynzowski. Alanna Paris, also a first-year student, added that prospective students can see what it is like to be a student on campus. In addition to the main Houghton Facebook page, other Houghton Facebook pages exist to connect accepted students and alumni from different graduating classes.

Social media, specifically Instagram, which is run primarily by Tetta’s social media interns, allows prospective students to see what life is like at Houghton from the eyes of a current student. “It wasn’t long ago that I was a prospective student. I have a pretty good idea what students like to see and how they use social media so I am able to use my insight to help Amy,” said Hummel.

Along with all of the helpful uses that social media plays in the Houghton community, there are ways that some posts or pictures can sometimes be taken in a negative way. “I always try to put myself in the place of a prospective student, current student, alumni, and faculty member to see if the post can be taken in a negative way,” said Tetta. Because social media allows individuals to post whatever he or she would like to, “it can start great dialogue, but it can also start negative dialogue. That is when it needs to be closely monitored,” said Hummel. Additionally, Tetta mentioned that social media is meant to be a conversation with people that might have different backgrounds and experiences than someone else might have. “It’s hard to sit back and watch an argument take place online. But Houghton is filled with a kind group of people that can sort out issues,” said Tetta.

Social media plays a role in every student’s life here at Houghton College. One of the ways that it influenced student’s lives was last April during the One Day Giving Challenge. Social media was used throughout a majority of the day and made the giving challenge a success. The funds raised from that day were used to help current and prospective students with the scholarships and grants that they received this year.

By tagging Houghton College or using the hash tag “#houghtoncollege” you may possibly have your Facebook posts, tweets, or Instagrams reposted by Houghton College. “The students are our biggest asset,” said Tetta, “They make Houghton what it is.”

“You know what Twitter needs? Less accountability. That will improve things.” This posted on Yik Yak by an anonymous poster using the pseudonym “Dean Michael Jordan.”

These days, social networks seem to be springing out of the digital woodwork. Every web developer and app designer is trying to find the niche that is as-yet untouched. Some new social networks stick around well. Others do not. Eventually, most fade in popularity, becoming replaced with others that do the same thing, only better.

Yik Yak is an app that has, so far, stuck around. For those unfamiliar with the name, allow me to explain. Yik Yak is a smartphone application that allows its users to post a short amount of text (200 characters or less), much like many other social networks. The main difference between Yik Yak and similar networks is its addition of anonymity. Those who post (“yak”) to the app are completely anonymous, their words being presented without credit given to anyone. If a user so chooses, they can adopt a pseudonym to post under. However, anyone can adopt each other’s pseudonyms or change names at any time, and so no true identity is revealed.

Without any sort of identification, Yik Yak needs another way to connect its users. It chooses proximity. Users see posts from people who are using the app nearby. Readers can then vote yaks up or down, helping them reach a status of popularity, or deleting them from the feed with an overwhelming negative vote. It is also possible to reply to yaks, and to have a conversation in this way. The result for those of us who live in Houghton is a feed of thoughts, feelings, jokes, and complaints written and tailored by Houghton students, for Houghton students. And sorry for this disillusionment, but if you look through our feed, you might not like what you find.

When a given semester ends, students are afforded the opportunity to give anonymous feedback about their professors. I know I am not the only one who takes this opportunity to let out the feelings, good and bad, that I keep to myself throughout the semester. Yik Yak is a lot like these reviews. The danger comes from the pressure to write popular yaks. The Houghton feed brings up many more negative comments than I hear around campus, simply because – let’s face it – we can all agree on what we dislike about Houghton. You’ve heard it all before: the food is bad, college is hard, sleep is rare, and… people break the community covenant?

Yes, it’s true, and it’s upsetting. We have a “dark side.” I have seen posts on Yik Yak about things ranging from sexual frustration (no!), to seeking someone who will sell drugs (never!), to a recent, “Houghton, what is your favorite beer?” These are sad and, for some, shocking expressions of a group of college students who, hello, came to a Christian college. Where did they learn this evil, and why are they here?

Well, at least “they” are honest about it. That might seem like a small comfort, but I mean it. These things are real, and actually happen on a regular basis. If we never talk about, for example, sex, drugs, alcohol, or how and why we are hurting, there can never be solutions to these issues. Yik Yak has created a safe space to express it all honestly. Now, let’s not confuse honesty with accuracy or authenticity. Yik Yak is NOT a perfect representation of who we are. It’s biased toward those who use smartphones, desire a place for anonymous communication, and aren’t overly frustrated with what they read. But it is entirely made up of Houghton residents. No one else is posting in the Houghton feed. They can’t.

So, then, what is the best response? Well, I’m going to keep my Yik Yak. I keep it because I don’t need to hide from mere words, especially words that give me a greater understanding of those around me, and how to love them. And I know that I am salt and light (for the Bible tells me so), so I’m going to act like it. Our feed could always use a bit more positivity and a bit more love. Of course, Yik Yak is not my mission field, and needn’t be yours, either. Most Houghton students are Christian already, and Yik Yak does not allow enough personal connection to evangelize. But I won’t be posting anything that I wouldn’t be proud to own up to. You shouldn’t either.