Before arriving at Northwestern, McCormick sophomore Hana Gutierrez was torn between filmmaking and industrial engineering, her current major. So instead of choosing, she pursued both.
Gutierrez started posting videos on Instagram during her freshman year as a creative outlet, a way to express herself while pursuing a “more practical” degree.
In 2024, a video she posted about her name and the ways it’s frequently misspelled went viral, marking a turning point for Gutierrez. She realized that she could harness her technical skills as an engineer along with her creative skillset as a filmmaker.
By creating content, Gutierrez said she made connections with other people in the same field. Her Instagram account also helped her land an internship in Los Angeles this past summer, where she helped produce social media content.
“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t (started content creation),” Gutierrez said.
She also said that her confidence has grown from her videos going viral, calling it “very validating” to see other people appreciate her content.
Social media was a catalyst for Gutierrez, emboldening her to chase her ambitions. And she’s not alone. For many NU students, social media has offered opportunities for expression and bolstered spaces for community.
Lauren Kim, a second-year graduate student in marriage and family therapy and a lifestyle content creator, felt a similar sense of comfort as Gutierrez from the responses to her content. She said posting videos on TikTok gave her a space to share personal experiences and helped her build a community beyond her social circle.
In one of her TikTok videos, Kim, a dancer, described her traumatic dance experiences, part of a wider trend on the platform. The comments section was filled with other dancers sharing similar experiences.
“I had a lot of times where I would criticize myself,” Kim said. “So getting to see that I wasn’t alone made me feel comforted.”
Medill junior David Sun said social media has also been a creative space for him to connect with others. He started a TikTok account during the pandemic when he was unable to participate in theatre at his high school.
Now, he said social media allows him to connect with people who share similar interests.
“The algorithm is very good at putting people that you would also be interested in on your feed,” Sun said. “I think that’s a really important factor, especially if you’re feeling alone in your own personal life.”
Sun used to post pop song parodies in high school, but has since transitioned to using social media to document his life as a college student.
But social media isn’t without its challenges, and student content creators are constantly finding ways to manage them.
For Gutierrez, navigating online safety has been part of the challenges she’s faced. When someone created a fake Instagram account using her name and face, she quickly blocked and reported it. Luckily, the app’s tech support was able to get the account taken down within a day.
Content creators can also struggle with balancing their online and offline lives.
Sun often manages his social media use by taking a break from the app for a couple of hours or even a day after he posts a video to avoid focusing less on the video’s engagement.
Kim said social media can make it hard to be fully present in her personal life and knowing when to stop creating content is difficult.
“It’s definitely pulled me away from what’s going on right in front of me,” she said. “I’ve been trying to make sure I’m not always living life through my camera.”
To combat this, Kim said she now makes a conscious effort to put her phone away when she hangs out with her friends.
Despite some setbacks, Kim encourages anyone hesitant to post content to go for it, noting that it can turn into something meaningful.
“You never know what you might make out of posting videos that might feel so small to you,” she said. “It can become something so much bigger.”
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