Fall 2011 marked the inaugural semester of the newest addition to the School of Mass Communications; a course on social media and the world of public relations. MASC 491, taught by social media experts, Jon Newman and Britt Farrar, are taking the helm on this first endeavor. The class assignment for the semester was to create a social media campaign based on a group or idea. A group of six students chose to pay it forward.
“We needed an idea for this group… I just wanted to break it down into the simplest form and I thought we need something positive and something involving the city; so I just put these two ideas together,” senior Chris Westfall said. The idea came out of desperation after attempting to work with a local non-profit fell through. Shortly after, Pay It Forward RVA was created.
The concept of “paying it forward” is to do something nice and simple for someone else, Westfall said. The group stresses the importance of random acts of kindness that only require a little bit of effort.
Ashton Smith, , a member of the group, said, “Paying it forward is something that everyone can do on some scale and that has allowed it to spread the way it has.”
Though Smith has enthusiasm for the project, it hasn’t always been easy to get the word out about the idea. The idea is centered around a Facebook and Twitter page to start a conversation about nice things someone has done or had personally happen to them. One example is a student was having a bad day and a stranger complimented them on their smile and it turned their day around. As the saying goes, a little goes a long way, and the group stands strong behind that.
“I’m not saying that you have to tip all your waiters and waitresses 50 percent or pay for everyone in front of you at Starbucks, but just be conscious of everyone around you,” Westfall said. An important element of the group’s message is that it doesn’t take much to be kind.
They have found others that are like-minded on the subject. Charlie Johnson, founder of the Pay It Forward Experience, reached out to the group in October. He wrote on their Facebook group’s “wall”, and was curious in getting to know them better. Since then, he has mailed them bracelets to spread and support their growing idea.
Though they are garnering support from friends, classmates, and fellow activists to the cause, they have found it difficult to properly spread the word. Westfall said that he “underestimated the difficulty in social media.” The group, at times, has found it difficult to create the kind of conversation that they intended. With their difficulties, they are still reaching people, getting plenty of “re-tweets” and “mentions” on Twitter, and users on the Facebook page.
The six members have been dedicated to their cause, and it isn’t just because of their grade for the class. Group member, Lesli White, said, “If we keep this momentum going, this may grow into something bigger than even we expected.”
Even with the semester winding to a close, Smith admits that the objective is to keep the group going. “I think we made a conscious effort as a group to try and maintain the project on some level, we all truly believe in the project and I think that is why that will be possible,” she said.
Since the group’s inception, they all strive to do nice things to people on a more frequent and regular basis. At its heart, their point is to bring a little bit of happiness into a busy city-life and culture. Westfall said, “It’s all about a conversation on steps you can take to make life a little easier on everyone else.”
Written and turned in on December 5, 2011 for MASC 203
