When you walk through a university campus today, you’ll see students in groups laughing, chatting, and comparing notes. But just as common are the ones with headphones in, thumbs scrolling through endless content on their screens. Social media has become part of daily life for students like me, shaping how we study, socialize, and even see ourselves.
At Mount Kigali University, it’s hard to imagine a day without notifications. Group chats help classmates share assignments, timetables, and announcements. It’s where lost ID cards are returned, where someone is always asking, “Who understands question number 5?” Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are where we keep up with campus events, from talent shows to car-free day workouts.
One friend told me she discovered the media club through a post that popped up while she was procrastinating homework.
But it isn’t always positive. Sometimes, scrolling feels like a silent competition. Everyone posts their best days, their perfect selfies, their achievements. Meanwhile, the stress, the doubt, and the bad grades stay hidden. It’s easy to think you’re the only one struggling.
“I had to remind myself that people only show what they want others to see,” says Rebecca, a first-year student. “Social media made me feel behind, until I realized we’re all trying to figure things out.”
Still, these apps help us stay connected. From friends back home to classmates we rarely see in person, our phones make sure we never feel too far away. They also give us humor when we desperately need it.
“Memes are my therapy,” jokes Emmanuel, a business student. “During exams, one funny video can save my day.”
Even though screens can distract us from real conversations, they also offer new spaces for self-expression, from sharing music mixes to posting poetry. The challenge is finding balance: knowing when to log in and when to look up.
As students today, we’re living in two worlds at once: the online one, filled with stories, trends, and updates, and the real one happening right in front of us. And somewhere between them, we learn, grow, and figure out who we want to be.
Maybe that’s just part of the modern college experience: learning when to scroll… and when to stop.
