Social media gives everyone the ability to curate a version of themselves. We choose the photo. We choose the caption. We choose what makes it into the story—and what stays behind the scenes.

That can be creative and empowering, but it can also make it easy to compare our entire lives to someone else’s highlight reel.

This course asks students to think more deeply about the relationship between who they are offline and who they appear to be online.

Students will:

• Discuss how social platforms encourage people to curate their identities.

• Explore the difference between authenticity and oversharing.

• Examine how comparison can affect confidence, decision-making and well-being.

• Identify personal values that matter independently of likes, followers or outside validation.

• Consider which parts of their lives they want to keep private.

• Define several qualities they would genuinely like others to associate with them.

• Begin building their personal Future Brand Values.

Students learn that personal branding doesn’t mean inventing a character. The strongest future brand starts with understanding who you actually are.