Teen Twitter accounts have private messaging capabilities. However, if families can work together to create a positive Twitter plan, then this platform can be very powerful for helping students impress colleges and employers.

So, we asked 4 experts to share their best tips for building a positive online presence on Twitter.

1. Craft your teen Twitter presence to have the most positive impact

Justin Lavelle, Beenverified

Twitter is a powerful tool. With that in mind, it is important to craft your presence on Twitter for the most positive impact. Think of ways to leverage your attractiveness to college admissions staff by tweeting information and photos of your volunteer work, school and sports activities, academic rigor (‘studying hard for my AP Calc exam’), part time job, and visits to college campuses.

Use each message to consistently show yourself in a positive light. It is generally safe to focus on facts, accomplishments, and your personal interests. Stay away from controversial topics, inappropriate content, and childish behavior.

2. Connect with people in your desired industry

Nick Leffler, Exprance

Twitter is a great resource to build a positive online presence before ever getting into the workplace

Twitter chats are a great opportunity to connect with people already in your desired industry. Not only that but you will meet people who are hiring managers at companies and could be your future employer. The first thing you need to do is have a complete and professional Twitter profile with information about your career interest. The second thing to do is research Twitter chats and find one for your industry.

3. Engage with authors and colleges

Sarah Tippett, Homeschool Base

The best thing a student can do is engage with authors and colleges. This means tweeting at them and responding to them. Likes and retweets go unnoticed, but real meaningful engagement is a powerful thing that will get noticed. For example, a student can get positive attention from a college or university by tweeting at the admissions teams.

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4. Scholarly actions get noticed on Twitter

Dr. Alex Berezow, American Council on Science and Health

If a student wants to use Twitter productively, he or she should use it to tweet about things relevant to the line of work they want to enter.

For instance, I’m a science writer. If I see a student making smart comments on my articles, tweeting interesting and informative content, and acting scholarly on Twitter, it would catch my eye.

Additional resources

How to Use Screen Time Productively

Conclusion

Teens can use Twitter to create and practice crafting their positive presence online. Using the connections and features of Twitter with a positive intention can help students Shine Online.