MLA Social Media Citations
Complete guide to citing Twitter/X posts, Instagram posts, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media content in MLA format
Social Media Citation Basics
Social media posts are increasingly used as sources in academic writing. Citations should include the author's real name (or username if real name unavailable), the post content, platform name, date, and URL.
Social Media Citation TemplateEssential
Author. "Post content." Platform, Date, URL.
Example: Johnson, Sarah [@sarahj_edu]. "Educational technology is transforming how we learn." Twitter, 15 Mar. 2024, twitter.com/sarahj_edu/status/123456789.
Twitter/X Posts
Standard Twitter Citations
For Twitter posts, include the author's real name, username in brackets, the tweet text in quotation marks, "Twitter" in italics, date, and URL.
Format:
Author [@username]. "Tweet text." Twitter, Date, URL.
Example:
Martinez, Carlos [@carlosEd]. "Remote learning tools are becoming more sophisticated every day." Twitter, 8 Apr. 2024, twitter.com/carlosEd/status/987654321.
Username Only (No Real Name)
When the real name is not available or clear, use the username as the author.
@TeachingTips101. "Five strategies for student engagement in online classes." Twitter, 12 Feb. 2024, twitter.com/TeachingTips101/status/246813579.
Long Tweets
For longer tweets, include the first few words followed by an ellipsis if the full text would make the citation unwieldy.
Chen, David [@dchen_prof]. "Today's students are digital natives who require different approaches to learning and assessment..." Twitter, 22 Jan. 2024, twitter.com/dchen_prof/status/135792468.
Instagram Posts
Instagram Photo/Video Posts
For Instagram posts, include the author's name, caption text or description in quotation marks, "Instagram" in italics, date, and URL.
Format:
Author [@username]. "Caption text." Instagram, Date, URL.
Example:
Rodriguez, Ana [@ana_teaches]. "Behind the scenes of our virtual science lab setup for remote learning." Instagram, 5 Mar. 2024, www.instagram.com/p/ABC123def456.
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are temporary content. Include "Story" after the platform name and note that the content may no longer be available.
Wilson, Sarah [@swilson_edu]. "Quick tips for virtual classroom management." Instagram Story, 18 Apr. 2024, www.instagram.com/stories/swilson_edu/123456789.
IGTV or Reels
For longer-form Instagram content, specify the content type after the platform.
Thompson, Carol [@cthompson_k12]. "How to engage elementary students in virtual learning." Instagram Reel, 2 Feb. 2024, www.instagram.com/reel/XYZ789abc123.
Facebook Posts
Facebook Status Updates
For Facebook posts, include the author's name, post content, "Facebook" in italics, date, and URL if the post is public.
Foster, Jennifer. "Excited to share our new interactive learning platform with educators nationwide." Facebook, 10 Jan. 2024, www.facebook.com/jfoster.edu/posts/123456789012345.
Facebook Page Posts
For posts from organization pages, use the organization name as the author.
National Education Association. "New study shows significant improvement in student outcomes with personalized learning approaches." Facebook, 28 Mar. 2024, www.facebook.com/NEAToday/posts/987654321098765.
TikTok Videos
TikTok Video Posts
For TikTok videos, include the creator's name, video description or caption, "TikTok" in italics, date, and URL.
Format:
Creator [@username]. "Video description." TikTok, Date, URL.
Example:
Kim, Jennifer [@teacherjen_math]. "Three-minute math tricks that help students remember formulas." TikTok, 15 Apr. 2024, www.tiktok.com/@teacherjen_math/video/1234567890123456789.
Educational TikTok Series
For TikTok videos that are part of an educational series, you may include the series information if relevant.
Anderson, Mark [@profanderson]. "Part 3: Advanced chemistry concepts simplified." Science Simplified series. TikTok, 3 May 2024, www.tiktok.com/@profanderson/video/9876543210987654321.
LinkedIn Posts
LinkedIn Professional Posts
For LinkedIn posts, include the author's professional name, post content, "LinkedIn" in italics, date, and URL.
Davis, Lisa. "Five years of research on remote learning effectiveness shows promising results for the future of education." LinkedIn, 20 Feb. 2024, www.linkedin.com/posts/lisa-davis-edu_remotelearning-education-research-activity-123456789.
LinkedIn Articles
For longer LinkedIn articles, treat them similarly to blog posts with article titles.
Brown, Michael. "The Future of Professional Development in Education." LinkedIn, 8 Mar. 2024, www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-professional-development-education-michael-brown.
YouTube Comments and Community Posts
YouTube Comments
For YouTube comments, include the commenter's username, comment text, "Comment on" followed by the video title, YouTube, date, and URL.
@EducatorMike123. "This technique has transformed my classroom management." Comment on "Effective Teaching Strategies," by Educational Channel. YouTube, 12 Apr. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123&lc=xyz789.
YouTube Community Posts
For YouTube community tab posts, include the channel name, post content, "YouTube Community," date, and URL.
Educational Insights Channel. "What teaching strategy has had the biggest impact on your students?" YouTube Community, 25 Jan. 2024, www.youtube.com/post/UgkxABC123DEF456.
In-Text Citations for Social Media
Basic In-Text Citations
Use the author's last name (or username if no real name is available) for in-text citations. Social media posts typically don't have page numbers.
Recent social media discussions highlight the importance of digital literacy (Martinez).
As one educator noted, "Remote learning tools are becoming more sophisticated every day" (Martinez).
Username-Only Citations
When using usernames as authors, include the @ symbol in the in-text citation.
Many educators are sharing practical tips online (@TeachingTips101).
The post emphasized that "Five strategies for student engagement" are essential (@TeachingTips101).
Multiple Posts by Same Author
When citing multiple posts by the same author, include the date or a brief description to distinguish between posts.
The first post discussed basic techniques (Chen, 22 Jan.).
Later, more advanced strategies were shared (Chen, 15 Mar.).
Social Media Citation Examples
Platform-Specific Examples
Twitter/X Post:
Garcia, Elena [@elena_prof]. "Interactive whiteboards have revolutionized our math classes." Twitter, 18 Mar. 2024, twitter.com/elena_prof/status/456789123.
Instagram Post:
Taylor, Amanda [@amanda_teaches]. "Setting up our new science lab for hybrid learning." Instagram, 5 Feb. 2024, www.instagram.com/p/DEF456ghi789.
TikTok Video:
Peterson, Laura [@teacherlaura]. "Quick grammar tips that students actually remember." TikTok, 28 Jan. 2024, www.tiktok.com/@teacherlaura/video/2345678901234567890.
Facebook Post:
National Science Teachers Association. "New research shows hands-on learning improves retention by 75%." Facebook, 14 Apr. 2024, www.facebook.com/NSTA/posts/345678901234567.
LinkedIn Article:
Wong, Jennifer. "Adapting Assessment Strategies for Remote Learning." LinkedIn, 7 Mar. 2024, www.linkedin.com/pulse/adapting-assessment-strategies-remote-learning-jennifer-wong.
Common Social Media Citation Mistakes
Avoid These Errors
❌ Wrong:
@sarahj_edu. Educational technology is transforming how we learn. Twitter. March 15, 2024.
✅ Correct:
Johnson, Sarah [@sarahj_edu]. "Educational technology is transforming how we learn." Twitter, 15 Mar. 2024, twitter.com/sarahj_edu/status/123456789.
Include real name when available; use quotation marks for post content; include URL
❌ Wrong:
Carlos Martinez. Remote learning tools are becoming more sophisticated. 8 Apr. 2024. Twitter.com.
✅ Correct:
Martinez, Carlos [@carlosEd]. "Remote learning tools are becoming more sophisticated every day." Twitter, 8 Apr. 2024, twitter.com/carlosEd/status/987654321.
Use proper name format; include username; quotation marks around post; specific URL
❌ Wrong:
Ana Rodriguez. Instagram post about virtual science lab. 5 Mar. 2024.
✅ Correct:
Rodriguez, Ana [@ana_teaches]. "Behind the scenes of our virtual science lab setup for remote learning." Instagram, 5 Mar. 2024, www.instagram.com/p/ABC123def456.
Include actual post content in quotation marks; italicize platform name; include URL
❌ Wrong:
@teacherjen_math. TikTok video. April 15, 2024. TikTok.com.
✅ Correct:
Kim, Jennifer [@teacherjen_math]. "Three-minute math tricks that help students remember formulas." TikTok, 15 Apr. 2024, www.tiktok.com/@teacherjen_math/video/1234567890123456789.
Include real name when known; describe video content; use complete URL