{"id":421245,"date":"2026-10-07T14:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421245\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T14:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:50:09","slug":"grwm-to-become-a-cane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421245\/","title":{"rendered":"GRWM to become a Cane"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A UM Student holds their phone up to the Shalala Student Center on Friday Oct. 2, 2026. The University of Miami’s reputation on social media has proved to be an impactful selling point for perspective students. \/\/ David Lebowitz, Co-Photo Editor<\/p>\n

Living the college experience is no longer just about studying and partying \u2014 students are also filming, sharing and building a life online. With its modern social media minors and course, the University of Miami can be a place to build a following and turn social media into a career, giving applicants new reasons to want to become a Cane.<\/p>\n

Creators have built platforms based on documenting their campus lives in recent years, shifting the school\u2019s reputation from a party school to one where students can build their own brand. In a 2025 article, The Washington Post called UM America\u2019s \u201ccollege of influencers.<\/a>\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This reputation can become part of what attracts students to the University.<\/p>\n

Isabella Diaz Escobar, a freshman and content creator, began making TikToks in her dorm during her first week at UM. One of her first videos has 1.7 million views and 215.6K likes. She currently has 11.6K followers on TikTok, most of whom she said she gained during her time as a Cane.<\/p>\n

Diaz Escobar said social media didn\u2019t initially influence her to apply, but as UM gained more popularity online, the creator culture became more appealing to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs UM gained online traction, it made me want to apply even more,\u201d Diaz Escobar said. \u201cI strongly resonated with UM influencers, which led me to the conclusion that I would thrive in this environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly looking at social media during admissions, freshman Melissa Maselli said she was able to decide if the University was the right place for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found that when evaluating college fit, in terms of where I would be happiest, videos students posted made it really easy to picture myself as a student here,\u201d Maselli said.<\/p>\n

One of the most recognizable examples is Alix Earle, who began building her platform<\/a> at UM.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Earle began posting lifestyle content as a freshman in February of 2020, including videos of herself doing her makeup and choosing an outfit to go out, a format widely known as \u201cGet Ready With Me\u201d videos. A viral TikTok<\/a> of Earle getting ready for her first day of senior year has 1.2 million likes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By her sophomore year, she built a following of about 40K, and by the summer before her senior year, her videos were getting millions of views.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since graduating in 2023, Earle\u2019s platform has soared, earning 1.7 billion likes on TikTok and millions of followers.<\/p>\n

She recently launched Reale Actives, her own skin care brand, and stars alongside her family in the Netflix show \u201cEarle Meets World.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diaz Escobar explained why students with a following, or the desire to have one, might be attending UM.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can probably blame the \u2018Alix Earle\u2019 effect for this trend,\u201d Diaz Escobar said. \u201cThe influencer lifestyle that is portrayed online seems fabulous: free items, exclusive events and fame. In today\u2019s age, \u2018I want to be a pop star\u2019 has become \u2018I want to be an influencer.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Earle\u2019s career shows what can happen when ordinary college experiences become content. For students watching her rise while considering where to attend college, UM appears to be more than a place to just earn a degree.<\/p>\n

The opportunity is particularly relevant in Miami, where social media and the creator economy have become increasingly connected to the city\u2019s identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miami ranks No. 3<\/a> among U.S. metropolitan areas for the number of top Instagram creators \u2014 behind Los Angeles and New York \u2014 according to 2025 research shared with Business Insider. The city has more than 6,000 top Instagram influencers, and the report found that Miami has more top influencers per capita than Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s events, brands and entertainment industry give creators opportunities to turn their surroundings into content. For students considering UM, those opportunities extend beyond campus. They are choosing a university in a city where the creator economy is already visible.<\/p>\n

Freshman Aubrey Levitan said she chose a social media course to study communication. But, she was surprised to learn skills applicable to her personal social media use.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like how the class is structured because I\u2019m learning more about how platforms shape the way awareness and information spread,\u201d Levitan said. \u201cLearning how social media movements can get lost has made me more careful about the rhetoric I see online and aware of how I interpret things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Howard Cohen, who teaches a social media course, said one student\u2019s work on campus trends impressed a retired Miami Herald publisher and former Knight Foundation president. After observing the class, the former publisher told Cohen that, if he were still in the position, he would \u201chire her as a marketer immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becoming a Cane is no longer just about getting your degree and living in Miami. In a city where the creator economy is part of its identity, UM offers students the chance not only to watch that culture, but to become part of it.<\/p>\n