The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
Categories:

How to embrace social media and content creation

Lily Youngstrom
May 4, 2025
In today’s digital age, highschoolers get the opportunity to explore the different ways that social media can be used. Students at Webb have found ways to enjoy the content creation experience. “In terms of boarding school content, I like making long form content because people can binge watch it when they are doing chores or getting ready in the morning,” Jayden Aleman (‘26) said. “But, if I ever want to hit a quick dance, then I would steer to short form content.” Instead of shying away from major platforms students like Jayden have built the courage to create uplifting content.

Social media and digital footprints are strong areas of debate in the current world, considering the emphasis and fear on cancel culture. However, social media is becoming a large networking tool, a space to make connections and even for pursuing a career.  

Influencers and digital fame have been a relatively common source of side jobs for many content creators, but can high school students at Webb also bite into this world? 

Most of the Webb community engages with apps such as Instagram and TikTok, spending a few hours a week scrolling and staying aware of a large social climate.  

Social media is a constant display of success in people’s lives, creating an atmosphere that does not normalize the reality of life. Constantly consuming this type of content promotes a standard of social perfection, ultimately leading to stress and pressure on teenagers. 

For many teenagers, this effect can also transfer to their self-worth and physical confidence. Unrealistic beauty standards and lifestyle can create anxiety and various insecurities.  

Even though the concept of spending time “doom scrolling” is often frowned upon, there is also value in staying aware of the larger community and even being an active member within these spaces.  

Jayen Aleman (‘26) has fully emerged herself in the content creating life, filming and editing videos that detail her day-to-day adventures and encouraging a balanced lifestyle.  

Jayden creates both short-form content on TikTok and YouTube Reels, while also creating longer videos that dive more deeply into her life at boarding school. 

“ I always wanted to start a YouTube channel ever since I was really young,” Jayden said. “I would always talk to myself in the mirror and act as if there were people watching me and I always knew that I was going to make a YouTube channel, I just didn’t know when.” 

“When I came to boarding school, I realized that there are only a handful of boarding school influencers and creators, but they aren’t consistent and don’t show a lot of personality,” Jayden said. “I wanted people who are interested in boarding school to see the experience without having to travel.” 

Another student who has struck internet fame is Emily Thorton (‘25), gaining over 34,000 followers on TikTok, and even having offers from brands for promotion. She has immersed herself in the digital artform, posting everything from outfit checks to hair tutorials. 

“The biggest thing that I get inspiration from is other creators who I see on the app,” Emily said. “I see a lot of other people’s videos and my feed is in line with the content that I enjoy making like vlogging and outfit checks” 

Although posting this content on public platforms can strike worry about digital footprints, Jayden and Emily are willing to take the risk to provide enjoyment and entertainment to viewers everywhere. 

“I started posting because it was fun. It was a sort of escape and break, and I started filming when I was taking breaks from homework and things like that,” Emily said. “I have always been the kind of person that has no problem posting on my socials.” 

Although some teenagers may struggle to post themselves without insecurity, Emily believes that being yourself is what truly matters.  

“They are my socials, I want to post, and I think it’s fun. I have never really found it awkward or been upset if my video does not perform well,” Emily said. “There have definitely been times when the more I was on social media the more I would intertwine that with my identity, but it has also always been a fun thing to post on.” 

Social media platforms can help people understand and learn more about themselves as they realize what they are willing to share with the public. Creators can also learn a lot about what morals and ideals they think truly resonate with them while making content.  

“I try to encourage my viewers to be themselves and be okay with being yourself and not being afraid of showcasing yourself to others,” Jayden said. “I also want to show young Hispanic and Latina girls that they too can go to boarding school and be successful in private education.” 

Although social media has gotten the trademark of being a bad influence and unnecessary, there are ways to interact with platforms in a positive way. Rather you are creating a video, or simply posting a few words, there is always a way to have a positive message.  

 

View Story Comments
Print this Story
More to Discover
More in Culture and Lifestyle
The Webb Schools’ calendar is filled with fun events that bring the community together. In October, Halloween transforms the campus with haunted houses and Zombie Apocalypse organized by the prefect council. As the year ends, the Holiday Party offers cozy activities like caroling, hot cocoa, and gingerbread house decorating. In the spring, Jubilee celebrates student talent with music and dance performances. Theme Night, the highlight of Theme Week, features class skits and dances that show off creativity and teamwork. These events are an important part of life at Webb, creating a lively and welcoming community.
Which Webb event matches your vibe?
During lunch, many Webb students pack into the library to sit together and do homework. Due to the busy schedule that Webb puts on students, a lot of them try to start their homework early so their work is not overwhelming in the evenings. “I usually go to my dorm or the library to do homework during lunch,” Sochika Ndibe (’26) said. “I usually have many hours of homework to do every day, so I like to get a head start on it, so I am not working on homework for hours at a time.”
Stress affects teenagers’ mind across all school environments
While watching Terrifier 3 for the first time, Christina Young could not keep her eyes open as she was grossed out by the disturbing murders. The Terrifier films have always been popular for its comedic killer, Art the Clown, and for the gruesome killings that many see as a challenge to watch, and others see as unnecessary and the murdering of children immoral. “I have watched only Terrifier 3, and that was enough for me,” said Christina Young (‘25). “I was terrified to say the least.”
Was Terrifier 3 too gruesome?
Webb students Freya Fu (‘26), Sebastian Saeedy (‘26), and Thomas Chiu (‘26) mimic a common scene Webbies exhibit during finals or assessment-heavy weeks. To combat Webb’s stressful nature, events held by various leadership groups—such as the PA’s Stress Less Week—aim to create a more peaceful environment on campus. "Typically, I go to the Stress Less Week events and have fun, but this year I wasn’t really stressed, and it was really cold when they held the water balloon fight,” said Maya Chin (‘26). Whether Stress Less Week effectively achieves its goal of reducing stress, considering its planned activities and timing, is called into question, making it necessary to explore what an ideal version of Stress Less Week might look like.
Webbies Visualize their Ideal Stress Less Week
We are what we eat. Although this saying is repeated far more than it is actually thought about, one thing is clear—food plays an essential role, not just in our personal lives but also in culture and society as well. Good food can remind you of home when you are far away; it can bring people together when they need company; it can offer solace when all you want is to be alone on Webb’s campus. In this guide, we will break down the essentials of ordering food at Webb—what does not disappoint, what you must try, and what you might want to think twice (or a lot) about.
The ultimate guide to food deliveries at Webb
Frannie Hinch (‘25) and Yuki Layman (‘25) brighten the quad through decorative chalk art. This is one of the many activities the peer advisors put on to celebrate Stress Less Week. “It was a really fun way to de-stress because drawing particularly with chalk is a really calm thing for the mind,” Yuki said. The colorful designs brought a cheerful touch to campus, lifting everyone's spirits.
Stress Less Week: does it really de-stress?
More in Showcase
Flags of Vivian Webb school and Webb school of California hanging the front of Vivian Webb Chapel. During Sunday Chapel, speakers deliver talks on the podium and students sit in the back pews. “I really enjoyed the talk of the speakers every day, and I feel like I always gain new insights.” Jerry Hu (‘26) said.
Sunday Chapel brings together Webb community
Hector Vargas (‘25), Hanbo Xu (‘25), and Luke Smith (‘25) are hiking up Potato Mountain to prepare for the senior trip. Every year, seniors must do ‘practice’ hikes with Webb to qualify for the 18-mile hike at the end of the year. To qualify, seniors must do two five-hour and eight-mile hikes, and one two-hour and five-mile hike.
Trump administration fires park rangers: will this affect Webb’s traditions?
After years of student complaints and broken fountains, the campus is finally taking a fix at promoting hydration at Webb. The water fountain by Chandler Field has been fixed, marking Webb’s progress toward fulfilling its end-of-year water station plan. “I used to carry around an empty bottle all day because there was nowhere to refill it,” Jayden Aleman (‘26) said. The fix is part of a broader effort to improve sustainability and student well-being. With more stations expected soon, staying hydrated at Webb is finally becoming easier.
Webb’s plan to improve campus facilities
Webb students use water every minute of everyday. Whether it is filling our water bottles or timing of our showers more thoughtfully during droughts, we all play a role in California’s ongoing water insecurity. “It seems like an intimidating and complicated issue, but at the end of the day, the more we learn about it, the easier it will be to take action.” Caitlin Delgado (‘25) said. Students at Webb need to think about their water usage more, as they have real effects in the state of our world.
How Webb impacts the environment: water usage and sustainability
Escorted out by the tournament staff and trainer, Aoi Ito smiles as her fans surround her, hoping to get her autograph. Her victory at BNP Paribas Open was difficult but sweet. Her injured leg, now wrapped in compression tape, still throbs, but the applause from the crowd gave her a surge of determination. She will fight another day.
Aoi Ito triumphs through injury at Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas Open Qualifiers
Caption: Finn Bulson (‘25) answers a call from his dad and freezes. A shooting threat reported on the Claremont McKenna College campus—where his dad works. His appetite vanishes; concern turns to panic, and Finn heads home. "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Finn said.
CMC swatting call raises questions about school security measures
About the Contributor
Lily Youngstrom
Lily Youngstrom, Staff Writer
Lily Youngstrom (’27) is an avid Varsity swimmer and water polo player. She loves all aspects of the sport — the calm relaxation of each stroke, the intensity of high-stakes water polo games, and the precision required in competitive swimming. She embraces challenges: Lily’s favorite stroke is the butterfly, often considered the hardest of the four. She continues to channel this mindset beyond the pool as an incoming Chapel Council member, aiming to make Sunday chapel more engaging even as a day student. She also serves as an admissions ambassador, eager to share Webb with prospective families. When she’s out of the pool, Lily can be found drowning herself in her love for reading and writing, indulging in book after book during school breaks and writing her own short stories. This year, Lily aims to dive deeper in writing through work in American Idea and finding her voice by writing for the Webb Canyon Chronicle. Lily will continue to make waves as she approaches this year with grace and determination, always ready for the next lap.  Favorite Song: Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac