Tips for teen digital success

BY STACEY ROSS COHEN

Clean up your digital act Teens must put their best digital foot forward during the college admission journey. Get started by removing dormant, inappropriate profiles, including images containing nudity, alcohol, drugs or offensive language. If someone has posted a questionable photo, ask that individual to remove it or untag you. High school students (and adults alike) should also search their names online and note how they show up. It’s not wise to delete your profile, because it doesn’t guarantee the data is completely gone. Plus, it looks like you’re trying to hide something.

consistency. If you are feeling creative, consider including your favorite quote. Other ideas to set you apart: Build a personal website to showcase achievements, activities, volunteerism and a portfolio of work; share your narrative through a video link; and use your email signature to include your contact information, photograph, hyperlinked social media icons and website hyperlink (if applicable).

entertainment and technology from NYU Leonard Stern School of Business.)

Cohen began her career at Marsteller Inc. (a division of Young & Rubicam, now VMLY&R), where she was responsible for expanding the corporate communications program for advertising executives. She then held senior positions in both public relations and marketing over a six-year period at CBS/Fox Video, then the world’s largest home video company, before striking out on her own.

Cohen and her husband, real estate attorney Bruce Cohen, raised their two daughters in Chappaqua, whose public school system is among the national standouts. (The couple now live in White Plains with their Shih Tzu, Willy. They also have a home in the Hamptons.)

She’s part of Westchester Angels – a group of investors supporting early-stage start-ups in the county and wider tristate region. As she noted in the acknowledgements of her book, her goal for her professional clients is the same for her student readers – helping them share their individual talents and perspectives with the world.

For more, visit cocommunications.com.

Invest in the right platforms. With the cleanup complete, it’s time to create a digital presence that differentiates you and tells your story, describing your talents, passions, achievements and more. Narrow down the vast array of social media platforms by determining which ones best accent your strengths. Are you an artist? Then Pinterest and Instagram work best. Are you seeking a career in broadcasting? Then stick to YouTube or TikTok. LinkedIn is the most beneficial channel for college-bound students to stand out and showcase their accomplishments. Getting a jump start on LinkedIn (by age 16) allows you to take charge of your narrative in a professional manner and set the stage for your career path. Another LinkedIn bonus: It builds networking skills, allowing highschool students to communicate with admissions officers, professionals in their intended fields and like-minded students.

Create an outstanding online profile. Once you have selected which platforms to invest in, it’s time to build an online profile highlighting a diverse range of academic pursuits, hobbies and volunteer work. Character attributes like leadership, resiliency, teamwork and volunteer service should surface. Use a headshot (high-resolution, minimum 300 DPI) of yourself in professional attire against a neutral background across all social media platforms for

Content is king. It’s time to post college-centric content. High school students can share images from their college tour, topics related to their intended major and more. While teens should include community activities on their application, showing this through social media is quite another thing. For example, do you have photographs collecting supplies for a local homeless shelter? Are you reposting interesting articles about climate change? Consider sharing a link to a news article with thoughtful comments that show leadership, critical thinking and intelligent analysis. The goal is to leverage social media to broadcast your best selves. Engage with colleges’ social media and follow your dream college’s accounts, showing your love by being visible and liking content. Connecting with college admissions officers, professors, department heads and alumni is essential.

Consider all touch points. Every communication mode (email, cell phones, interviews) counts. Privacy does not exist in any social channels, including your cell phone. Text messages can be screenshot and shared without your permission, leaving you no control over where they land. Screenshots of racist and inflammatory text conversations have gone viral countless times. Before you hit “send” on that next text message, ask yourself: Would I be comfortable with that message scrolling across the Times Square digital billboard?

High school students need to become a master of first impressions. The ultimate goal is to come across as a responsible young person who would be a welcome member of a college campus.