With people scrolling through their social media feeds faster than Michael Phelps swimming the 200m individual medley, it may seem counterintuitive to engage in so-called long-form or narrative social media. Will anyone read a post that's more than 140 characters? The answer, it turns out, is yes — if it tells a good story. Why? Because storytelling is part of what it means to be human. And every human being has a story to tell.
In its popular #TellUsTigers campaign, launched in February 2016, Princeton University is using Instagram — designed to marry great visuals with engaging text (up to 2,200 characters) — to introduce the world to Princetonians, one post at a time.
Each post features an undergraduate student, a graduate student, professor, staff member or alumnus. Here's a look at some of them. We invite you to take a pit stop from the dizzying raceway of the virtual world, and instead pause and scroll — slowly — through their highly individual tales, told in the first person. Then follow us on Instagram @Princeton_University or search for the hashtag #TellUsTigers to get a new post weekly. Members of the University community can submit suggestions for future #TellUsTigers stories via email at pusocialmedia@princeton.edu.
