Social media dominates the lives of most college students. With social media comes the constant development of new apps. Apps allow users to share pieces of who they are in different ways such as through videos, pictures, music and more. It is rare that you find someone that is not on some sort of social media such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

What makes social media so accessible is the fast paced development of new technology. The majority of students on college campuses own smartphones, which makes it easier to access apps just from about anywhere where you can get a signal. Social media and apps are what brings us closer to each other. We can easily see what others are doing and what others are into without having any physical contact. 

 There are so many apps out there with different benefits, it can be hard at times to pick a favorite. I asked a few students around campus about their favorite and least favorite apps. I also asked them about how they felt about social media in general. 

Facebook:

This social media site has been around since Feb. 4, 2004. The site known for bringing people together no matter the distance has been able to remain relevant after 11 years. Villanovans still utilize Facebook but they say their purpose for it has changed. Sophomore Emmanuel Gray says that he uses Facebook to raise awareness for certain issues. 

“I can repost about things such as what is going on in the world like the events with the University of Missouri and see that other people are supporting it,” Gray said. Facebook can quickly connect us with other people in the world to tell us what is happening in the world whether it be good or bad. Facebook shows us what people are concerned about as well as what people are up to. In a world that revolves around technology, it is great that we can be updated easily on current events with a click of the button. 

Another student, sophomore Alvin Alex, says that Facebook helps him stay connected to people he may not see all the time.  “Facebook is my favorite because I have had it the longest and have the most connections through that compared to other social media,” Alex said. Facebook is a great tool to help us never miss a moment out of a loved one’s life.

Twitter: 

Twitter lets you post little messages with a maximum of 140 characters. Twitter has evolved since then by allowing you to post videos and photos. When asked about Twitter, people found this social media app to be the most useless. Alex explained why it was his least favorite by saying,“ Twitter is my least favorite because I see no point in tweeting stuff.” 

People find Twitter good for entertainment purposes. “With Twitter, it takes away from what is really going on with issues,” Gray said. “Twitter is not as serious and I use it mostly for entertainment purposes.” 

Twitter is constantly being updated with live tweets so it can be hard to keep track of what is going on when you have to constantly scroll. Sophomore Kenna Yadeta says that Twitter can be drama filled. “I hate Twitter because it is too much to go through your whole feed and there’s so much Twitter beef and it ruins relationships.” 

Some people see social media as a source of drama that ruins relationships because some individuals put their personal life on the web. When your business is on the web for everyone to see, it can be hard to have a private life. You do not want valuable information to end up in the wrong hands. 

Yik Yak:

Yik Yak is another social media app that students do not favor as much. Yik Yak allows you to share anonymous thoughts via posts with people in the same geographic area as you. Some students dislike the anonymous feature because it gives people the opportunity to say harsh things without leaving a trace. 

“ I do not like Yik Yak because of the anonymous nature,” sophomore Nkiambi Sokolo said. As of recently, Yik Yak has been receiving more negative reviews because of its anonymous nature which does not help with the issue of cyberbullying. Yik Yak has yet to implement any feature to help alleviate the problem of cyberbullying through their app.

Snapchat:

Snapchat allows you to send pictures or videos that can last up to 10 seconds to your friends before it disappears after being viewed. It also lets you post videos or pictures to a feature called “My Story” which lets your friends repeatedly view it for 24 hours. 

“I feel like Snapchat allows me to get more personal with my friends,” Sokolo said. People can post throughout the day so we can see more personal moments from their day. Snaps are temporary so people feel more comfortable to share freely. 

Sophomore Kareen Thompson spoke on one of the more negative sides to Snapchat. “It could be used negatively,” Thompson said. “People will take snapchats of other people to make fun of them, and that is just another form of bullying. It could also be another privacy breach because you don’t necessarily know if the person you are sending it to is the only person that is viewing it.” 

Privacy seems to be a concern for students since we do not want certain people viewing certain things. Also, being put on social media puts us at risk for criticism by viewers so it is important that we think about what we post before actually doing it. 

Social media is transforming because it is allowing user to share parts of who they are more easier and freely. Social media shows us what other people are interested in and what is relevant in the world today. It keeps us connected to the world and our network. Social media is transforming by becoming the main way we communicate with each other to learn about each other.