Through this series, I have encouraged and educated you on how to use social media as a valuable tool in the recruiting process but I wouldn’t feel like I am doing my job if I don’t touch on the bigger picture aspect of social media and it’s influence on young girls.

Stop for a minute and think about the types of accounts you follow. Do they inspire you? Do they provide valuable insight into areas that are connected to your goals? Do they make you happy? Are they motivational in a positive way? Are they a true reflection of your values?

Or do they make you feel not good enough? Do they make you feel envious or jealous? Do they motivate you in a negative way? Do they encourage you to devalue your beliefs about yourself? Do they include inappropriate language and images?

Social media can be an extremely powerful tool to influence the decisions we make, the things we buy, how we dress, how we talk, and how we feel about ourselves. I feel that as a young female you can easily be misled and influenced by what you follow on social media. There is a thin line between being inspired by others in a positive way and being envious of them for how they look, act, dress, etc.. Take an inventory of who and what you follow and trim out any accounts that bring about negativity or insecurities in your life.

Do not be consumed by how many likes you get. I’ve shared things before and thought they were such good posts, not because it was a flashy, cool picture, but because it had a good message to it. Then I’ll notice I only get a handful of likes and wonder what was wrong. Then one person will comment or send a direct message that says how much it meant to them or how they could relate to what I shared and it makes it all worth it.

So as you take advantage of social media to stay ahead in the recruiting process, be mindful of the accounts you follow and how they make you feel. Use them as positive inspiration for your goals and aspirations. And don’t get caught up in what you think is going to get more likes, share the things that bring happiness and positivity to you and hopefully to others as well.

Brandi Jackson

RecruitPKB College Consultant

If you need assistance with the college recruiting process, please contact Brandi at bjackson@pkbgt.org