By: Ryan Riccetti
We all know that social media is an extremely powerful interactive medium, but would you ever consider studying it at a university? As a BECA student, I have asked myself this several times while deciding which emphasis path I should take. Recently, I came across an article, “Should You Major In Social Media?”, which provided a detailed argument against a student’s decision to spend their time and money studying such a broad, new field. While I believe the writer makes several valid points in her piece about the non-traditional characteristics of social media as an academic subject, I cannot help but feel that she has overlooked some key components about an academic social media program.
Broad isn’t always bad.
Studying social media is much more than just the networking websites that its name implies. This industry utilizes a combination of marketing, psychology, communication, and business ideals that are all beneficial to our overall education. This means that social media students are walking away from their classes with the ability to research activities and trends among populations, analyze user behavior and reactions, and communicate with users on a large-scale level.
What does the future truly hold, anyway?
Many people are apprehensive of an academic approach to social media because it is still such a new subject. Considering the rapid evolution of the Internet and online media, however, it seems like now is a better time than ever to start exploring new options for education and employment through these social outlets. Whether or not online networking will be relevant and profitable in the future, I still believe that the knowledge we gain from it can prepare us for jobs in plenty of other fields.
So what do you think? As either a BECA or non-BECA major, do you see an education in social media as a beneficial option, or should students stick to more conventional business subjects?
Ryan Riccetti is a junior at SFSU in the BECA Department
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of San Francisco State University. The university makes no claims, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of guest post content or the suitability of the content for a specific purpose.
