Social Media and Millennials: Should we be concerned?

Social media can be distracting.

Just how productive are we when surfing social media sites? As Millenials, we may think we are great at multitasking. While multitasking is an important skill to have in the PR field, surfing social media channels isn’t multitasking—it’s “multi-distracting.” Students can often find themselves surfing various social media channels instead of working on homework or projects. 

Social media has become one of the biggest distractions for not only public relations students, but all students. According to Julie Morgenstern’s blog, we experience an interruption every eight minutes and each interruption can take away five to 15 minutes of focus. 

On the other hand, social media can also help improve one’s grades. When group projects are assigned, it’s difficult to get everyone in the same room due to conflicting schedules. Social media can help bring groups together online.

Social media can create a false sense of reality.

Another important aspect to consider is that social media can negatively impact our mental health. When scrolling through your newsfeed, do you notice your friends bragging about their accomplishments or participating in activities you wish you could do?

Social media gives users the opportunity to reconstruct their own self-image and therefore enhance their own self-worth into a positive light. When we only portray the positive aspects of our lives online, outsiders may become anxious, jealous or depressed.

We naturally want to display our presence in a positive light. While this is good for our own self-worth, we must understand the difference between our online and real life perceptions.

What about our lives outside of social media? One thing to take away from this is the cliché that “not everyone is perfect.” Our social lives should be just as transparent as our real lives.

How can college students learn to properly use social media?

As public relations students and future professionals, it’s up to you to learn how to use it wisely. If you are interested in learning more about using social media on a professional level, seek out internships that will give you hands-on experience.