Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, oh my! So much to manage, so much pressure and so little time, yet 95% of high schoolers use social media almost constantly, according to the National Library of Medicine.
As a first-year at the University of St. Thomas, however, it feels as though there has been a positive and unexpected cultural shift regarding social networks. Is my generation coming to its senses and ending the social media binge, or is it just a cultural change that will soon expire?
In high school, social media felt essential for fitting in and staying updated, but college has broadened my perspective. Some may say social media’s hold on Gen Z will never go away, but I am choosing to be optimistic and argue that this generation is coming to its senses thanks to college.
First of all, social media is time-consuming. One can get caught up for multiple hours scrolling through content on Instagram. Sending snaps on Snapchat is necessary to maintain “streaks” and social status. I have found this to be simply unsustainable now that I am in college, and I am sure that is the case for many others. I manage my own schedule, have a job related to my career aspirations and fill my time with extracurriculars. This leads me to assume that the lack of social media prevalence in college is largely due to students not having the time for it.
Beyond the time constraints of college, there’s also a growing recognition of the mental and emotional toll that social media has. People who use social media self-report up to a 70% increase in mental health problems, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine.
After talking with some of my friends, we decided that more exposure to data like this has opened the eyes of college students to the complete insanity of social media culture, making it less appealing.
As students become more aware of these concerns in college, I see many of them taking a step back, setting boundaries and choosing more fulfilling ways to spend their time. Attending study groups and using the accountability of others is a popular form of accomplishing this. After all, when your day is packed with classes, work, social events and extracurriculars, the last thing you want is your focus and energy to be depleted by infinite Instagram scrolling before settling in to study.
College students are beginning to focus more on long-term goals like internships, networking and academic success. Many of my peers have shifted their priorities toward real-life interactions and experiences. Arriving at college and living in close proximity to so many people encourages you to make real-life connections that are more meaningful and constant. Its almost as if we’ve outgrown the need to be constantly connected online.
All of these things considered, I am not so naïve to think that social media will disappear entirely from our lives. Platforms like LinkedIn, for example, play an important role in professional networking, and Instagram can be a tool for creative expression and staying connected. The difference now is that many college students are learning to use these tools mindfully.
Ultimately, the shift from high school to college life that I see gives me hope that my generation is moving toward a healthier relationship with social media because of the college experience. We’re not completely rejecting it, and plenty of people, including myself, have room to grow, but it appears people are learning to approach it with more caution, self-awareness and balance. If this trend continues, perhaps this generation could redefine how social media fits into our lives—not as something that controls, but as something to be controlled.
As people continue to navigate their relationship with social media, it’s up to them to decide how they want to shape its role in their lives.
Anna Brennan can be reached at bren7501@stthomas.edu.