THUMBS DOWN – When was the last time you liked, commented, or shared a post on one of your social media platforms? Now, When was the last time you liked, commented, or Shared a post regarding Palomar College?

Palomar’s Instagram following, @palomarcollege, currently sits at 5,166 with a total of only 1,759 posts. Their TikTok, @palomarcollege, has 517 followers with 1,834 likes.

Both platforms seem to be updated regularly, which begs the question; why aren’t students more engaged on the pages?

Social media has become closely intertwined with our daily lives (especially that of typical college students). Our academic careers also play a big part in our lives as students. Posting more on the official pages or allowing individual campuses to run their own pages would dramatically increase our social media presence and reach in general.

Campuses running their own pages would offer the chance to build more of a niche community online rather than just a collective. Although Palomar’s official website does provide a look into campus life with articles and videos, an Instagram Live Video of an event could offer a look at the campus and our diverse in-person students and staff. Prospective students joining us via Live will also be getting a feel for the energy here on campus.

Palomar can also benefit not only by posting, but by utilizing the tools different platforms offer, either due to their functionality or by boosting our relevance. By offering polls via the Instagram Story feature to gauge what students want, prefer, or need in real-time. The pages could provide push notifications regarding events or other site news which students may see before opening their email. A more active social media presence could also create more interest in the college by utilizing trends or creating trendy content. It would also give the college a more current and approachable feeling, rather than a rigid academic entity.