All those studies that say Facebook users are just
getting older are true—to a point. Parents and grandparents of students are trying
to figure out the social media site, but it’s still an “indispensable” part of
college life, according to Drexel University senior Josh Weiss.
Weiss, an editor of the Drexel student newspaper, was asked
by CNBC to write about hot trends in social media.
“Personally, I am an avid user of social media,
something I am both proud and ashamed to admit in equal measures,” he wrote.
“Yes, it can be a waste of time and we’ve all run out the clock, scrolling
through a newsfeed we’ve seen a million times. At the same time, it allows you
to stay connected with the world. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I don’t get the
vast majority of my news from Facebook. I also use it to stay in touch with
friends. While some students may use it at its bare minimum to stay up to date,
with the world or group projects, I see it as a time-wasting means to an end.”
Facebook and Twitter are important tools at Drexel,
used by student groups and the university to update people on happenings
around the campus. Weiss uses both tools to provide readers with real-time
updates.
He also mentioned Snapchat, Yik Yak, and Instagram as
part of the social media mix at Drexel. Snapchat is becoming one of the most
used platforms at the university, but Weiss suggested that Yik Yak and
Instagram are primarily used to find parties or campus groups promoting their
activities.
“Social
media can end up running our lives—or even enabling our bad behavior—but if we
harness it right, it can help us connect with people and run our lives more
efficiently, old and young alike,” he wrote.
