Instagram has launched a new feature designed to facilitate connections among college students on campus, the company announced Tuesday. This release follows a similar initiative by TikTok just a week prior, signaling a renewed focus on the student demographic by social media platforms.
The new Instagram feature allows students in the United States to add their college or university to their profile banner. This enables them to easily identify and connect with other students attending the same institution. To activate the feature, students can select the “Add School” option on their profile.
Verification is conducted through UNiDAYS, a student verification platform, ensuring that only enrolled students can display their school affiliation on their profile. Users have control over the visibility of their school banner, allowing them to manage their privacy.
Once verified, students gain access to a directory of other confirmed students at their school. According to Instagram, this student directory is intended to simplify the process of finding classmates and fostering connections. The directory can be filtered by year, enabling students to easily locate individuals in their specific graduating class.
These new college-focused features from both Instagram and TikTok echo the early days of Facebook, which initially served as a platform for Harvard students to connect. The underlying concept is to create a dedicated space for students to interact with one another on campus, mirroring Facebook’s original mission when it launched in 2004.
The introduction of this feature was anticipated, as reports of Instagram developing it surfaced last year. While these features aim to enhance social connections among college students, they also raise potential privacy concerns. The optional nature of the feature allows users to maintain a separation between their online presence and student life by choosing not to add their school to their profile.
Notably, the added layer to Instagram’s already feature-rich interface might not be welcomed by all users.
