Tuesday, November 18, 2008

MSU: A Social Kind of Place

Kids go to college because they want to learn and yes, socialize. Socializing used to mean going out with friends, partying, etc. However, kids can now go to college and be "social" without ever leaving their dorm room. Regardless if this is healthy or not, social networking is extremely popular. So popular that universities across the nation are embracing it, using it, and using it well. Missouri State is no exception.

Missouri State University has developed and is utilizing a variety of social networking mediums. Some of these include twitter, facebook, and youtube. Brad Mitchell, MSU's new web and social media developer, has worked on and tweaked these mediums in both a fun and effective way. First, twitter has been set up to announce the latest news at MSU. This is done through a basic RSS feed from the homepage of MSU. Brad stated that this took very little time to set up, yet it looks very time consuming. Also, facebook is being utilized by MSU. A group has been created that now has thousands of fans (aka students or alumni of MSU). This social networking site creates a sense of community within MSU. Lastly, YouTube is being used by Missouri State University. Brad has uploaded a variety of videos that are then placed in categories. Some of these include: athletics, clubs, and student life. These videos are being watched by many, as the number of views is displayed under each video. The most popular videos so far are those involving sports. Using YouTube helps students see what is going on at MSU, as well as helping establish MSU as an up to date and technologically savvy place.

Social networking is no longer limited to individuals. Businesses, organizations, and yes, even, institutions are utilizing these highly popular mediums. As technology is changing, universities must change right along with them. MSU, through its use of these mediums, has proven it is quite a social place.

1 comment:

Jeff Norris said...

I love your opening paragraph describing how kids can "socialize" in different ways. I also like how you comment about universities need to change with the mediums used. It is very important for businesses and universities to keep in touch with social networks because if used right they can be very beneficial to the companies that use them.