COM 374 - Writing a White Paper
 

For a Research Methods course, there was a group project where students worked collaboratively to develop a white paper addressing a communication challenge. My group focused on social media safety education for young adults, specifically examining how social medai use affects college students' mental well-being, substance use, cognitive function, and body image/ self-esteem. The project was developed with the Organization for Social Media Safety as the intended client, with the goal of identifying ways to imporve educational programs and encourage healthier social media habits. 

While the group worked together to write the executive summary, an overview of the client, the research approach, and the recommendations for action, we worked individually on the research objectives. I focused on examining the relationship between social media use, particularly influencer content and body image/ self-esteem. My contributions included reviewing academic research, analyzing relevant survey responses, and conducting an interview to better understand how social media content influences young adults' perceptions of themselves. Essentially, the project aimed to provide research-based recommendations that could help organizations develop more relevant and engaging social media safety campaigns, increase awareness of the potential risks of social media overuse, and encourage healthier digital habits among young adults.