STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The Texas Social Media Research Institute will join the worldwide Social Media Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow @TSMRI on social media platforms; use the #TXSocialMedia hashtag on Instagram and Twitter.
Each hour TSMRI’s social media undergraduate, graduate and industry fellows will ask and answer a social media question for participants. The questions may range from, “What was your first social media account and why did you create it?” to “How do you protect your mental health on social media?”
Started by the Mashable company in 2010, Worldwide Social Media Day highlights social media’s effect on populations around the globe.
“Social Media Day is important because it’s a way to connect with friends, family and colleagues while recognizing the impact social media has had on us as a society,” said Lauryn Harris, a recent Tarleton graduate and TSMRI industry fellow. “It is a way to keep social media conversations flowing, highlight mistakes and share successes.”
TSMRI recently shifted focus to include artificial intelligence (AI) and user experience (UX). Social media, however, remains at the organization’s core.
“Social media will only keep advancing and connecting people,” said TSMRI industry fellow CareyLyn Ryn, another recent Tarleton grad. “AI may help create, but it cannot replace the connections we make with people or companies.”
Tarleton-Fort Worth student Alba Zarate, a TSMRI undergraduate fellow, noted how much social media’s presence in daily life has increased over the last few years, and he sees this continuing.
“AI seemingly will have the same impact in our lives,” he said. “It’s creeping into social media, and therefore it is important to keep social media a part of the conversation. It will change with these new developments in AI.”
TSMRI was founded in 2011 to serve as a resource for local and state organizations seeking training and research focused on social media and new technologies. Since 2011, the organization has hosted its annual Texas Social Media Conference in Fort Worth.
Contact Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards at jtedwards@tarleton.edu.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.