On average, according to Harrisburg University, college students spend three to four hours a day on social media. Through this, students have been affected in both positive ways, but also negative ways.
According to the CDC, there is an all-time spike in student suicides, and many of them relate directly back to social media.
Baylor influencer, Violet Kleefisch said the “negatives for sure outweighs the positives and I think especially like if you look at statistics. After the introduction of the iPhone and social media, suicide rates among our age and our generation have skyrocketed. And I think that often goes unnoticed.”
Even though social media has many connotations, Violet has been able find the positive where people feel celebrated and loved. Her journey began with Baylor rush, and she since then she has seen her audience of loyal followers grow.
You still have those moms and grandmas who were involved in Baylor Greek life, who like to stay engaged and involved and see what’s happening on Baylor’s campus, and they stay super engaged,” said Kleefisch.
Throughout her journey, Violet has been able to stay true and consistent to herself, which can be hard in a field like hers. Sophomore Gracie Peschel stated how she thinks social media holds a lot of weight, and it can be good if not overused.
“It’s relatively good when used in moderation but when it becomes where you find your value and your wroth or your go to thing to do when you’re bored, etc. etc. It can be bad for your mental health but also your self-esteem,” said Peschel.
Social media isn’t usually positive, but there are different avenues you can take to make it beneficial to grow your professional platform. Kleefisch has found a way to do this and that has given her one of the biggest platforms at Baylor to work from.
This story was produced by Baylor Student Ava Krause and is part of the Baylor University Student Journalism Collaboration with KWBU.