Miss Lehi candidate’s social media mission

Between Tik Tok dances, photoshopped Instagram posts, and mean tweets, one woman has taken initiative to help others use social media to uplift, encourage and inspire. Shelby Barnes, lifelong resident of Lehi, is on a mission to utilize social media platforms as a positive influence in the world. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, like many others, Barnes had limited face-to-face interaction with co-workers and friends and was expected to utilize technology to communicate. Specifically, she used social media to share messages with family, friends, and followers. “I found myself getting a little depressed during quarantine with only social media connecting me to the outside world,” Barnes remembered.

Shelby Barnes went on a social media treasure hunt for positive, uplifting videos, photos and quotes. She felt lighter after seeing an Instagram account that posts with inspirational, self-affirmational quotes daily. Barnes found another Instagram account for the “Quarantine Quartet,” a family of musicians who post upbeat musical numbers. These positive messages inspired Shelby to start her own social media accounts to be a light in the dark for others.

Recently, Barnes has created accounts and pages on prominent social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook at @social4thesoul. Through these platforms, Barnes shares posts that are informative and instructional. Companion to her social media accounts and pages, is Shelby’s website social4thesoul.com. She has developed and created personalized courses to educate users on positive social media use. 

Barnes’s goal is to uplift, encourage and inspire others one post at a time. Shelby invites the Lehi community to visit her social media accounts and website and make social media good for the soul.