Browsing: Social Media

Sometimes finding yourself might require allowing the algorithm to get you wrong.

Dating used to be simple. Someone would ask you out, you’d go on a date then choose to take it somewhere or split as friends. But now, we have social media. Stop the investigations and bring back casual dating.

Social media, being the ever-changing medium, has fundamentally altered our lives and perceptions. The algorithm is always evolving and, in turn, evolving us: our identities and labels.

Many people don’t know what GLP-1 therapies were truly designed for and how the trend surrounding them has affected those who need them most. Pharmaceutical marketing has turned a legitimate medical treatment into a lifestyle product, leaving those who rely on these drugs without access.

A lack of reading in our country reflects more than the low literacy rates, but also the lack of understanding that drives the ever-growing economic, political and educational divides and high tensions that seem inescapable.

Nothing feels normal anymore. There is an underlying sexualization of everything, even though it is completely unnecessary. That’s the problem — people should be able to scroll through social media without suggestive content being forced on them.

We don’t need to reject technology or social media completely, but we do need to relearn where the line is and start acting as if it exists again. If everything becomes content, we all lose control of our own lives at some point.

America has always debated politics, but today it feels more divided than ever. When disagreement turns into distrust, what happens to unity?

In a time where only the tensest interactions between civilians and law enforcement are being distributed across the internet, Baylor’s Department of Public Safety is doing things differently. Lighthearted informational posts and staff bios fill the department’s social media feed, while donut giveaways and bracelet-making workshops fill the time between patrols.

In light of political unrest, celebrities speak out for those who can’t. But is speaking out at award shows the best way to do so?

The viral Adidas Tang jacket started a trend of incorporating traditional Chinese design features in modern fashion. However, it comes with a new wave of debate as to why Chinese culture is not being credited properly when selling Chinese-inspired clothing, creating complicated questions in balancing fleeting trends and true appreciation of culture.

Starting a conversation with someone you haven’t talked to in a while can be stressful, but more times than not, making the effort to send a small text results in a renewal of a connection.

Dr. Ed Rogers, assistant director, training director and senior psychologist for the Counseling Center, said too much exposure to negative news affects one’s mental health. These effects occur because the human brain struggles to distinguish between remote and current threats.

On social media platforms, Baylor showcases images of its beautiful campus, smiling students and graduate success stories, all reinforcing a promise of personal, academic and professional achievement. While these photos of perfection and happiness are a nice visual, they do not accurately reflect the stress and competitive nature many students, myself included, experience behind the scenes.

With the current digital age, social media usage continues to rise and seep into college campuses. The short-video format has been revealed to be the most addictive and equally the most harmful. Out of all the apps, TikTok takes the throne.

A Baylor freshman who ran an anonymous account posting videos of urinating on campus was identified by police and referred to Student Conduct on Sept. 26, according to the Baylor University Police Department. As of today, the university has confirmed the student is no longer enrolled at Baylor.

Despite the addictive nature of phones, there is a solution to the ever-consuming algorithm — a better way to educate oneself, to engage in critical thought and expand one’s worldview. I propose returning to the original form of entertainment, the humble paperback book.

Human interaction can’t compete with the dopamine spike that social media provides. The attention economy has made focus a rare commodity. Every app is engineered to pull us back in, fragmenting not just our time, but our relationships. Friendship now competes with algorithms designed to hijack our curiosity.

As censorship rises across American media and education, Dr. James Kendrick, the interim department chair of journalism and professor of film and digital media, warns that power and algorithms are shaping what ideas reach the public. From classrooms to social media feeds, he said the suppression of controversial topics limits critical thinking and open dialogue.

After 125 years of technological advancements and changes, The Lariat remains in print. Over 50 years after his tenure as editor-in-chief ended, Moore said he still reads The Lariat.

“The conversations that we had and the answers that they gave — it seems trivial, it seems silly, but it really got them thinking,” Sweet said. “There were great teaching moments, there were great just personality moments that we got to interact with students. Anytime you can do something outside the classroom, it makes it so much [more] freeing and so much more exciting that way.”

Despite conflicting perspectives on the Tea app’s implications, it continues to draw attention and engagement from male and female students alike at Baylor.

Every time a college student opens TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, they’re stepping into a digital hall of mirrors where their beliefs are reflected and reconfirmed. The “For You Page,” that students use for entertainment, has become one of the strongest engines for confirmation bias.

Three out-of-state freshmen walked into North Russell Hall one fateful August day, and started a friendship over a card game of “Exploding Kittens” that would later spark a campus-wide sensation in the form of a TikTok account under the name “NoRo Food Reviews.”

Hate on all levels is unacceptable, especially at an institution that leans on faith, family and friendships. Being abhorrent toward someone for doing something wrong is stooping to their level. Accountability should never turn into cruelty. As Baylor students, we need to be better. As cliché as it sounds, we need to be better Baylor Bears.

The Trump administration and China appear to finally have a deal to keep the platform live for U.S. users, though. Under the agreement, a group of U.S.-backed investors will own the majority of the company and TikTok’s algorithm will be retrained, with the deal expected to be approved through an executive order.

Snapchat is a social media platform that should be left in the past, where it belongs. If you want a career after college, do your mental health and authenticity a favor and move on from old habits. Snapchat feeds a self-destroying cycle.

Videos of Baylor students’ fully decorated dorms have racked up millions of views, sparking national conversation surrounding college move-in culture and social media’s influence on Gen Z.

As we reflect on the impact social media has had on our 2025 minds, it is much less positive. Social media has produced an anxiety-ridden, disconnected and apathetic generation. Our minds are filled with constant noise and comparison. Every major and minor tragedy is broadcast to us in grotesque detail.

It’s hard to deny the power of television, and reality TV is today’s cultural epidemic. And if you’re among the rare few who don’t watch, I envy your freedom. Reality TV is an entirely different ballgame.