Romel Edmond: Student Urges Peers to Use Social Media Wisely

Guest columnist Romel Edmond is an intern in the Office of University Communications and Public Affairs. A senior majoring in English with a political science minor. For more of his editorials, essays and short stories, visit romel-edmond.com/.

This summer, Facebook made headlines in the business world by creating its own search engine in a bid to challenge Internet giant Google, and Twitter made international headlines for its contribution of on-the-spot journalism by citizen journalists. During the aftermath of the presidential elections in Iran, 98 percent of all tweets were Iran-related. Initially, critics labeled online social networks as a fad that would fizzle, but their ever-growing popularity and busting profit margins show otherwise. Nonetheless, 51 percent of Americans still do not use Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace.

I was one of those who avoided online social groups like the plague. My reasons were many. Chief among them was defiance. “I will not be assimilated,” I said naively. “Facebook is just a fad, you’ll see.”

Another reason I avoided social networks is the same reason I avoid going to high school reunions. For most of us, high school meant four years of pimple-faced, angst-ridden awkwardness as perfectly depicted in the films of the late, great John Hughes. I had been waiting for further life achievements that I felt more comfortable showing off: the perfect job, the perfect car, the perfect mate.

I did not feel ready to have my new, older self, which was still similar in to my younger self, judged by my old classmates, who were surely prosperous and wealthy by now. Then, an internship involving online media forced my hand, and I had to join Facebook. My internship at Qmania, a consumer services start-up, requires me to be online to network with various small businesses in order to expand the output of the company. This meant using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and many others to connect with small business owners.

I expected a nightmare scenario of having to engage in dialogue with people from my past who I didn’t know that well or worse, who I didn’t like that much. I soon discovered, however, that it would not be so. I was pleasantly surprised with my overall experience. I reconnected with many of my oldest and best friends from school. In addition, I gained a new way to keep in touch with new friends and classmates from CSU Dominguez Hills. I took the plunge and joined Twitter also. It was a tweet from @DominguezHills that first informed me of looming cutbacks to the Cal State University budget.

Social media is a gold mine for students who are looking to jump-start their careers. Future entrepreneurs who plan to start their own business will find ample available virtual real estate on the Internet. Facebook, for example, makes it possible to represent your organization online, allowing you to share your services and network with prospective partners and connect with a customer base. Aspiring writers will find blogging a perfect way to expose their portfolio of work for the world to see.

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive shows that even though Facebook and MySpace are immensely popular, 45 percent of college students have yet to participate in them. Those surveyed expressed that they did not believe in the lasting power of social networks. The same pollsters interviewed people of all educational background and showed that of those ranging between 35 and 44 years of age, 53 percent still do not use MySpace or Facebook. The higher the age range, the lower the online participation, topping out at a 76 percent non-user rate for survey subjects aged 55 and up.

The generation gap is not much of a surprise. However, the CSU Dominguez Hills campus is known for its exceptional percentage of older adults within the student population, with the average age at 28. These are students who are missing out on the networking possibilities of social media.

To those of you who have yet to embrace Facebook, take it from me as someone who was just like you only a few months ago: Social media networks are not just a fad, they are here to stay. My work experience with the Internet has given me an insight on how businesses are and will run in the future, and the future is online.

To the introverts who are apprehensive about putting their lives online, know that you can be as private and can keep your circle of friends as small as you do in real life. You do not have to have 1,000 friends and followers to successfully network.
Students who have already taken the plunge should remember that when online, as in real life, be careful of the company you keep and the image you portray. Prospective career and business ventures can be around any corner – do not let an online caricature hinder future aspirations.

It is true that social sites such as MySpace have dwindled in popularity, and there is the possibility that Facebook will suffer the same fate. That is no reason not to sign up. Declaring one or the other a “fad” does not change the fact that you may be missing out on possible avenues towards success. The Internet is still a young tool, a mere 20 years old. It is constantly evolving. The easiest way to begin is to start with CSU Dominguez Hills.

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- Romel Edmond