DIGITAL BAGGAGE: INFLUENCES ON NEW STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS’ SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND DIGITAL IDENTITY

Oct 15, 2026

This exploratory embedded case study examined entry-level student affairs professionals’ personal and professional social media use across four campuses in a state university system. Grounded in the student affairs profession, the study investigated how participants used social media platforms and constructed professional digital identity. Findings indicate limited readiness to engage university communities online, weak or underdeveloped professional digital identity, and reticence shaped by “digital baggage”—social media experiences that influence behavior, intentionally or unintentionally.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Technology competency and digital identity

Institutional social media policies and guidance

Study purpose and research question

Relevant literature on digital identity

DIGITAL BAGGAGE: INFLUENCES ON NEW STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS’ SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND DIGITAL IDENTITY Lucas Gorham University of Missouri Abstract This exploratory embedded case study examined the personal and professional social media use of entry-level student affairs professionals at four campuses from a state university system. Bounded by the profession of student affairs, this study focused on how entry-level student affairs professionals used social media platforms. Findings suggest that most entry-level professionals do not enter student affairs ready or willing to engage university communities on social media platforms and their respective campuses and graduate programs are not preparing them to do so. Study participants largely lacked a professional digital identity and were somewhat reticent about developing a robust professional digital identity. Contributing to their hesitancy, participants described their digital baggage – a collection of social media or social media-connected experiences that consciously or unconsciously influence personal or professional social media use. Keywords: digital baggage, digital identity, entry-level, social media, social networking, student affairs Please direct inquires about this manuscript to: Lucas Gorham, [lucas.gorham@gmail.com](lucas.gorham@gmail.com) College Student Affairs Journal, Volume 41(2), pp. 68-82 ISSN 2381-2338 Copyright 2023 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 69 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 41, No. 2, 2023 “Technology” was introduced as a new competency, solidifying the importance of integrating technology in student affairs work (ACPA & NASPA, 2015) . The technology competency outlined foundational, intermediate, and advanced outcomesin the areas of data use and compliance, online learning environments, technical tools and software, and digital identity and citizenship. The digital identity and citizenship outcomes largely focused on the student affairs professional as a role model for reputation cultivation and professional engagement in virtual spaces (ACPA & NASPA, 2015) . These outcomes are most germane to this study, and their addition reflects the need to better understand how professionals are engaging with social media. Yet, if entry-level student affairs professionals are using SNS regularly, they are navigating social media with little institutional direction. Universities and colleges are slow to implement policies regarding appropriate social media use. In fact, only 17.7% of institutions in the Carnegie Classification data file have accessible social media policies (Pomerantz et al., 2015) . Of those with policies, 80.3% had one policy guiding the institution, 11.1% had policies for one or more campus departments within the institution, and 8.6% had policies for both the institution and for one or more campus departments. Further, in cases where there were multiple social media policies, they lacked cohesion at the departmental, divisional, and campus levels (Pomerantz et al., 2015) . Without definitive guidance, campus leaders must consider whether institution-level social media policies are needed, given the implications of social media use and how it may impact the institution. When social media policies and guidelines are unclear or non-existent, staff members tend to post using their own discretion or their own perception of institutional and professional context (Veletsianos & Kimmons, 2013) . This can leave staff members vulnerable to disciplinary action or scrutiny from colleagues and other stakeholders Digital Baggage 70 if their perceptions regarding posting guidelines are not in line with those of the institution. Issues are compounded as digital technology, and digital identity are not sufficiently integrated into graduate program curricula and in professional development opportunities within ACPA and NASPA (Cabellon & Junco, 2015) . Be

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study explores how entry-level student affairs professionals describe their digital identity through their social media use.

What does the study mean by “digital baggage”?

“Digital baggage” refers to social media or social-media-connected experiences that consciously or unconsciously influence personal or professional social media use.

How are institutional policies related to staff social media behavior?

When policies or guidelines are unclear or absent, staff members tend to post using their own discretion or perceptions of the institutional and professional context, increasing vulnerability to scrutiny or disciplinary action.

Oct 15, 2026

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