Spiritual prompt: Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-3—What ways have you seen social media be used as a marvelous work? What role do you want to play in using it for the service of God?

11/17/2025

With social media, I’ve seen it be amazing for informing and inviting others in a way that feels natural and approachable. I know many people share their “best selves” online, and it can be hard to feel a genuine connection; that’s often what I notice when I’m scrolling. However, even with that, social media remains a powerful tool for promoting awareness.

In my current job, I manage social media for a local company, and I love helping drive people toward supporting local businesses. Community awareness is what helps us thrive. In a gospel sense, social media can serve a similar purpose; we can share the church community, highlight what’s going on, and invite others to join in a way that feels normal and natural. I hope to use it to uplift and connect people while serving God.

Professional prompt: Which social media platform do you consider most powerful and why?

11/18/2025

It really depends on your end goal. If you want lasting change or to convey a more comprehensive message, YouTube is the platform to direct people to. For instant views and quick engagement, TikTok or Instagram are more effective since they’re built for short, consumable content.

Personally, I find a lot of power in TikTok right now because creators there can quickly gain a huge following and then move on to bigger projects. For example, the TikTok stars of Utah MomTok now have their own show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and two of them are even on Dancing with the Stars. Their popularity has skyrocketed, resulting in increased exposure and media attention. That said, this is just my current opinion—what I see as the strongest platform could easily change in a month or even a week.

Professional prompt: What did you learn in your social media posts that you’d do differently if you could go back?

11/19/2025

I included a large disclaimer at the beginning of the video, as I directly used footage from the game trailer. If I could go back, I might put it at the end instead, because I feel like starting with it immediately deters people from watching.

That said, I’m really happy with what I achieved in the timeframe, so I wouldn’t change much. I might also spend more time on the voices I used for the TikTok voiceover. I ended up using an AI voice generator to achieve the male vibrato that I couldn’t create with filters. But overall, for the assignment and the time I had, I’m happy with how it turned out.

Student’s choice: I’ve heard the phrase "you are your own worst critic," is that true?

11/20/2025

I don’t think it’s entirely true that you are your own worst critic, because people will sometimes tear your work apart for little reason. I do agree that we can be harsh critics of ourselves, and that can be good; it motivates us to improve. But other critics often view your work through their own lens.

People have different perspectives, and someone with a completely irrelevant viewpoint can make critiques that ignore the purpose of your piece. The worst critics are the ones who don’t take a moment to step into the artist’s shoes. I get that something might not be for everyone, but that doesn’t make it bad art. A critic who is too biased in their own preferences (which I have seen numerous times) is who I consider to be the worst critic. 

Student’s choice: If the content is "good", why doesn’t the same piece of content work on all platforms?