What breaks as easily as it builds?

What empowers as easily as it degrades?

The answer? Social media. As a popular medium for news and ideas, it takes much responsibility to use it for beneficial results, let alone handle. It’s not the direct source of online public relations fiascos or other media disasters, but it’s without a doubt a tool that could provoke them if used unwisely. That plays into consideration of the innumerous benefits that proper use of social media could bring, and the faculty and students of Nazareth Academy understand that risk.

In recent years, Nazareth Academy has taken initiative to involve and imprint itself on numerous social media hubs, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Rather than satisfy itself with bland updates or monotonous spewing of its four pillars, the school has chosen a contemporary approach to its posts, much to the enjoyment of students and faculty and much to the benefit of the school’s reputation and popularity. Over the summer, the Nazareth faculty produced an “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” video in which it participated in the national trend of drenching one another with buckets of ice to spread awareness for the crippling disease of ALS (and more importantly, Nazareth donated to an organization to help fight it as well). The video itself was a hit among the page’s 2,000-plus followers, receiving nearly 300 “likes” and over 50 shares. It also correctly portrayed the faculty in a positive, trendy manner, and Student Council co-president Sydney Stancik agrees.

“Nazareth stresses the idea of establishing a community, and it’s an effort that the teachers are involved in as much as the students,” said Stancik. “It’s special when the teachers are not only using the same social medias as us but using them in funny or insightful ways, and students love that.”

As any tool, however, social media can be used to destroy rather than create, and that aspect of the argument cannot be denied. Many students remember the anonymous “Nazareth Confessions” Twitter account that tweeted grossly inappropriate information or pictures about fellow students. Others recall the recent “#BeatBenet” hashtag that was, to be fair, mostly used with sound judgment, but at times stepped over the line. It should be noted that these downfalls were inflicted by a small number of students and not Nazareth authorities, but nonetheless, these setbacks stained our school’s great reputation in spite of the work it had taken to establish it.

“The Beat Benet hashtag was mostly fun and games, but the Nazareth Confessions page crossed the line,” said senior Ruben Gonzalez. “It was embarrassing for everyone in the school. I’m so glad that Nazareth cracked down on whoever did it and was able to report the page to Twitter. That is a prime example of social media at its worst.”

“At its worst” is proof in itself that social media is not always degrading and detrimental. Through exhibiting our individual and collective personalities over interactive platforms, Nazareth has built a presence on social media that has overall benefitted its reputation in the eyes of students, faculty, parents, and the public. It is nothing less than a reflection of our own values and ideas, so instead of pointing fingers at the result, students are encouraged to reflect their actions upon themselves and use the platforms wisely — or in other words, build rather than break.