What I Learned About Personal Branding at #NASPA12

Posted on March 30, 2012 by MyStudentBody

At the NASPA Annual Conference 2012 a lot of the sessions got me thinking about personal brand and professional networking. Conferences are always great for professional development and growing your skill set, meeting new people, and creating connections (personal and work-related) – all things that can help you in your career.

There are, however, some things to keep in mind as you jump into the social sphere and put yourself – including your personality, opinions, and online demeanor – on public display. It’s important to be careful about what you post and how you interact with others on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. I’ll get into some of my tips for both students and administrators and what I learned at one particular session below.

Before I get into that, let me tell you about two things that got me really excited about the conference in general. What I found most interesting (and different from previous NASPA conferences that I’ve attended) was the amount of networking and professional development done through sharing on social platforms during the conference. At prior annual conferences, connections were mainly made face-to-face or through email after the conference with maybe a little social networking thrown in.

In 2012, there was an explosion of social networking, especially through Twitter on which attendees or people around the country could follow the #naspa12 hashtag and “listen in” on sessions they couldn’t attend and contribute thoughtfully to the ideas being presented. This sort of thing blows my mind and makes me appreciate the recent advances in technology and the ubiquity of social platforms.

Additionally, I was delightfully surprised at the amount of sessions dedicated to talking about social networks and how that can affect administrators and students. I say delightfully surprised because as the social media coordinator of MyStudentBody and a strong believer in social and professional networking, I believe we should be talking about this and it makes me happy that others do, too.

One session in particular caught my attention because of its interactive setup. It was called “Influencing Student Behavior Through the Idea of Personal Brand” and it talked particularly about a program designed to get high-risk groups on campus, mainly athletes and Greeks, to think about their actions and how it effects them both personally and as a group. The session went through a series of slides depicting brands and talking about how they got to where they are and about setbacks incurred by seemingly small things. They connected those large brands like Apple, Coca-Cola, and Disney to the idea of personal brand.

Ultimately, the message here was that so much goes into creating a positive image for your personal brand that it’s not worth letting one excessive night of drinking and partying or other not-so-positive activities destroy your reputation. It puts things into perspective.

This idea of personal brand can also be applied to social networking and professional development for both students and administrators. You should be careful about the “brand” you’re portraying online through your tweets and status updates. Most of the time, it’s public, unless you’ve locked down your profiles so that only certain people can view your interactions. With that in mind, here are three tips for maintaining a positive personal brand:

Only tweet or post things you’d say to someone or about something face-to-face. Many times people believe that they can’t get in trouble or tarnish their reputation with things they say online because, well, it’s online. So not true. People are watching what you say and how you interact. Always keep in mind the messages you’re putting out to the world because, whether you like it or not, you’re being judged for it and there could be consequences.
But don’t be afraid to show some personality. It’s okay to let your personality shine. We all want to know who you are and what you’re passionate about. That’s how you make connections online. People will be more likely to interact with you if you show some human traits. Don’t just post news articles or retweet everything. Put something personal up every now and then to showcase your interests.
Remember that you are connected to your organization or school. Not only does what you post on Twitter and Facebook have an effect on your personal brand, it can negatively affect the brand of your institution or organization. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Is what I’m about to tweet or post thoughtfully contributing to the conversation?” Try to avoid posting about negative feelings or venting. This usually will come back to bite you, or at least gradually decrease the value of your personal brand.

You may not quite understand it all yet. No one does. But I would definitely recommend getting out there and letting yourself be known on social platforms. Work your way up to it. You don’t have to dive in completely, but you could definitely learn a lot from others and make great connections.

I know for sure that my involvement with social networking at this year’s NASPA annual conference helped me professionally and personally. I learned a TON. If you’d like to chat more about this concept of personal brand or anything social networking, tweet me @tyachilles.

Sexy & Savvy: Safer sexting

Posted on July 6, 2011 by MyStudentBody

Contributed by Rebecca Smith, M.A., L.C.P.C., C.S.A.T.

You’ve heard of safer sex, but what is safer sexting? It’s being smart with your phone while sending sexual texts or pictures to others.

Sexting results from advances in technology enabling new forms of social interaction. Messages with sexual content historically have been exchanged over all forms of media. Newer technology like smart phones and iPads allow the transmission of photographs and videos, which are intrinsically more explicit and have greater impact. Sexting can socially dangerous specifically because material that’s sent through these newer technologies can be very easily and widely propagated, with the originator having no control. Read more about the history of sexting here.

Proceed with extreme caution

I’ve heard many students talk about receiving or sending a naked picture from/to someone they knew. It seems to be very common these days. Social media and texting make it easier to say things that normally may be too risky to say out loud to someone standing right next to you. Students admit to being a lot bolder with what they type than what they’d actually say to someone they just met. Some students only use sexting with semi-strangers — in other words, people across the country whom they’ll never meet but whom they chat with online. They may feel safer sending explicit messages or pictures to someone who doesn’t know them and who wouldn’t be able to send it around their university or community. Just remember, it’s a small world: I’m always amazed at who knows who, no matter where they’re from. As stated above, once you send the picture off to someone, you lose complete control. You never know how long that person will keep the picture on their phone or what they’ll do with it once they get it in their possession.

Spice up your relationship?

Other people tell me that they only send sexually explicit messages to their boyfriend or girlfriend — in other words, to someone they trust. This may seem like a good way to spice up your relationship, but be aware that people do fight and break up. If you’ve sent messages or pictures to someone who now wants to get back at you for something, you could be in trouble. A lot of students also admit to being in a committed relationship with someone and sexting someone else. You can cheat with technology very easily. Even if the person lives across the world, if you do this behind your boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s back it’s considered cheating. If your boyfriend or girlfriend finds a naked photo on your phone that a same-sex friend passed along, that could also look very bad for you. People do forward photos. You want to remove those ASAP if you’re in a relationship. Keeping them on your phone or computer, even though they were sent from a buddy, isn’t considered a smart idea.

Save some face

Another way to be safer while sexting is not to send any pictures with your face in the photo. I’ve heard students say it’s a little less likely that someone will be able to identify you in case the picture gets out to others — although, as you know from the cases of celebrities in the public eye, you don’t need to put your face in the picture for it to be able to be traced back to you. You may want to set some ground rules before you engage in such behaviors. Sexting can start arguments because some people promise something through text that they can’t deliver in person. Be careful about what you tell someone you’re willing to do. You could find yourself pressured later to go through with things that may be easier to say than to do.

The bottom line

Don’t feel pressured to engage in any sexual activities that make you feel uncomfortable. You have the right to say no. It’s also inappropriate to send naked pictures of yourself to someone who doesn’t desire to receive them. It’s not a turn-on to receive unsolicited texts or pictures of a sexual nature; it’s usually a turn-off. Don’t just assume someone is willing. Ask the person if they’re okay with it before sending anything sexual. If that person says no, be respectful. It’s also not a turn-on to beg someone for sexual material. “No” means “no.” If you proceed after this point, it’s considered sexual harassment.

As a counselor, I recommend that you educate yourself before engaging in sexting with anyone. It may seem fun, harmless, and safer than having sex, but there are still consequences that can be devastating. Be aware of all the risks before deciding what’s best for you. If you’re over 18, it isn’t illegal to send sexual material over your phone to someone else who’s over 18. You have to decide what you’re comfortable with and be strong about setting clear boundaries with others. If you start something and then feel uncomfortable, stop, and let the other person know. If they won’t stop, find a way to block them from your phone if possible, or report them for harassment.

Be smart and be safe. Safe sex isn’t just about using a condom anymore. Click here for more Sexy & Savvy posts. Share this post by using the buttons below.

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Social Intelligence: Is Facebook your only friend?

Posted on February 25, 2011 by MyStudentBody

Contributed by Amanda Anastasio, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

If you spend hours a day writing on “walls” and Facebook “stalking,” the answer may be yes. It may be amusing, but using technology to interact with each other can possibly make it harder to have more deep interpersonal connections. Technology and social media make life easy, I know. But dare I say there is a dark side to relying on this for the bulk of communications!

A recent study (McMillan & Morrison 2006) on the youth and internet reported that young people felt the internet was “needed” to maintain social interactions. How could this be so, with the internet only widely available starting in the late 1980s? Most students surveyed said they feel “expected” to be online and connected to social media or they are not part of the community.

When was the last time you felt a deep connection or communicated a real feeling or emotion, such as affection, respect, joy, or contentment, through a text message or a wall posting?

If students feel that these forms of communicating, texting, tweeting, facebooking, etc. are needed for social interaction and to be part of the community, it sounds like a chunk of the satisfaction of human interaction is floating away into cyberspace.

Studies have shown that we get the most satisfaction out of person-to-person, real-life connections we have every day. Internet and smart phones may make your life easier, but not your relationships. Messages sent through technology can easily mix up meanings and cause confusion. How many times have you pondered the meaning behind a text, these short snippets and squids of expression, only to find out the sentiment (sarcasm, humor, discontent ) you sensed wasn’t really there at all?

With the understanding that most people are interacting on Facebook with people they know in real life, there is still something to be said for actual human interaction without the use of devices. It’s the conversations, the tones, the inflections, the looks, the body language. These are things we must practice; these are skills that are learned. There is an inherent social aspect to being human, but it’s called “social skills” for a reason. Pardon the cliché, but if you don’t use them in the real world, you will lose them!

There is a saying, “A friend’s eye is the best mirror.” By spending time with others and relating to people on intimate levels, we discover our preferences for friendships and romantic partners. Most people find out the most about themselves through their relationships with others, and sadly, this can’t be done without meaningful, offline contact.

The internet, Facebook, and technology have allowed a vastness in communication unmatched by anything else, but the level of intensity that we can communicate through these means is minimal compared to how we can grow to know each other and ourselves through face-to-face or even phone conversations.

To increase your real-life interactions every day, call friends or classmates together for a study group. Don’t get lost in your phone or computer while you wolf down your lunch; eat as a group or in pairs. And remember, the next time you get the urge to “poke” someone on Facebook, just pick up the phone and get together! Your relationship with your friend and yourself will be better off.

How do you break free from technology each day and spend quality social time with friends and family? Click here for more Social Intelligence posts.

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