Schools’ Use of Social Media to Build Community

Question: What evidence is there for social media in shaping discourse at the community level in ways that impact K-12 students? For example, relationships between students and school leadership, perceptions of school leadership, perceptions of school policies (e.g., cell phone policies, vaccination requirements, book bans, curricular decisions), relationships between parents and school staff, and the composition and engagement of school board members.

Answer: Thank you for your question! This is a multifaceted question that does not have much evidence surrounding it. Below, we share what we do know about building a community using social media, discuss examples of how schools have utilized social media, and provide recommendations for schools that want to do so.  

Building community and connection through social media 

Research has shown that social media for teens and others can help bring a sense of community or belonging. Teens use it to connect with like-minded peers, find or explore new interests, encourage activism, and provide a platform for self-expression. These are all ways that people can use social media to find a sense of belonging.  

While schools' use of social media has not been fully examined, we can see that schools utilize social media for multiple reasons, such as sharing information, highlighting student work or school events, and providing real-time updates for the community. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools were using social media to post school announcements, school clubs, sporting events, and more.  

Schools have tried to create the same sense of community among their students and parents through social media. Some schools (like Williamson County Schools in Tennessee) utilize YouTube to make videos showing off school activities, celebrations, student projects, event promos, and more. Others have utilized Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter/X as ways to communicate with their students, parents, and greater community.  

School communication in the digital age 

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, schools that weren’t already utilizing social media as a tool for communicating had to rapidly adapt to using platforms like Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and more. Social media was one of the initial ways that schools communicated their new policies, like social distancing and masking during the beginning months of the pandemic.  

A study that surveyed school administrators from Turkey found that school administrators questioned or were skeptical of social media use for communicating, but during the pandemic, their use and perception of social media changed as they spent more time on it due to lockdowns and social distancing. The majority (94%) of those administrators use social media. The small number that doesn’t, noted that they don’t view it as reliable (61%) or necessary (22.1%). The most popular platforms among the administrators were WhatsApp (28.1%), Instagram (23.8%), Facebook (20.6%), and Twitter/X (14.1%) for their wide coverage, easy interaction, and time flexibility.  

Another study from the U.S. that examined over 9 million tweets and over 8,000 school Twitter/X accounts found that one-third of U.S. schools have institutionalized uses of Twitter/X. The authors noted that the degree to which social media has penetrated K-12 schools varies, but it is likely that once one platform is adopted, it is easier to adopt other similar platforms due to similar affordances (sharing, networking, etc.).  

Double-edged sword of social media trends and algorithms  

Although social media can be looked at as a positive and effective tool to communicate with the community, it can be a double-edged sword. In 2022, McMinn County School Board decided to remove a book from their school’s curriculum. They posted this announcement on their social media page and, as a result, the McMinn County Twitter name had been mentioned over 2,000 times, with community members casting the school board in a negative light due to their actions. Locals were concerned about the board’s decision and the perception of their school once news of the ban spread.  

In addition, polarizing topics are often amplified on social media platforms, gaining visibility through likes, shares, and comments. Although this increased attention can lead to engagement, it can also fuel negative discourse in the comments or prompt community members to share the content to voice their disagreement. When communicating about sensitive policies such as book bans or phone policies, it’s especially important to be intentional and thoughtful about how the message is shared. 

Social media trends and norms can also negatively impact relationships among teachers, administrators, and students. Online challenges like Slap a teacher or the Chromebook Challenge provide dangerous and harmful situations for students and teachers. It is important for social media platforms to limit this type of content from reaching school age users.  

Balancing Online and In-Person Engagement for Healthier Discourse  

Unfortunately, there is no official playbook for schools on how to communicate via social media with their community. Communication styles can differ based on the population, past practices, and preferences of school administrators. Some solutions for schools that the Center of Excellence recommends are: 

• Pairing online communication with in-person engagement. Most communication schools do on social media is in one direction, where the school is sharing information. To help encourage positive engagement, pair online communication with in-person town halls or smaller meetings in which parents can voice their opinions and contribute to problem-solving. This can help decrease polarization and lead discourse around touchy topics in a positive direction. 
• Not posting impulsively. Ensure posts go through revisions before posting.  
• Have a moderator for online groups. (e.g., Facebook groups have a moderator who ensures all members are following community guidelines and group rules). This will help to ensure people follow established guidelines and the moderator can remove any potential negative content.  

References 

• Hodge, E. M., Rosenberg, J. M., & López, F. A. (2023). “We don’t teach critical race theory here”: A sentiment analysis of K-12 school and District Social Media statements. Peabody Journal of Education, 98(5), 533–547.   
• Kimmons, R., Carpenter, J. P., Veletsianos, G., & Krutka, D. G.. (2018). Mining social media divides: an analysis of K-12 U.S. School uses of Twitter. Learning, Media and Technology, 43(3), 307–325.   
• Urhan, B., Yeniçıktı, N. T., Şimşek, G., Albayrak, E. S., Güdekli, İ. A., Hoştut, S., & Arslan Çelik, B. B.. (2024). Social media use and social capital: Social media usage habits and perceptions of school administrators. Heliyon, 10(1), e23293.   
• Zalot, A. (2024). “All Eyes on McMinn:” Book Banning Discourse in the Age of Social Media. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 61(1), 1174–1176.   

Age: 6-18 

Topics: Social media discourse, community discourse, social media effects, students, educators, administrators, social media influence, community norms, schools, school districts, school district use of social media 

Role: Other, Researcher