The world today is fueled by social media. People use it for work, to connect with family and friends, and/or for entertainment. Considering that statistically 93% of people in the United States use social media sites and apps, like the platforms Instagram and TikTok, internet trends tend to spread through communities like wildfire. These trends inspire fun ideas but also open doors to users who spread malicious content, like gossip, that can ruin relationships between people (www.sentiment.io).
The Monarch community in general is also influenced by social media and social media trends as they gain popularity around campus. Some of the most popular apps around campus include Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and most recently Fizz, an app that emerged from a social media trend in early 2024 gained swift popularity early on. This particular app is specifically created for students primarily in high school and college. It touts being a safe place for specific communities to communicate. The feed is private and only accessible to students within a given school. Many Mater Dei students joined to spread thought and compare ideas with each other. Junior Xavier Palmares shares his experiences after learning about the new interface.
“My friends were talking about [Fizz], and were talking about an account that was following them on Instagram called ‘Fizz Mater Dei,’” Palmares said. “I chose to [join the app] by myself.”
Apps like Fizz are used to share ideas among the community and better understand life from other peers’ perspectives. Palmares describes how Fizz has been used so far around the Mater Dei community.
“[Fizz] is just like hearing from my classmates, it’s like a group chat for the whole school,” Palmares said.
Students at Mater Dei often follow internet trends to feel included in groups and catch up on what is happening in everyday student life. Many students such as sophomore Brayden Devonald have a tight-knit friend group who talk about internet trends together.
“They were primarily my friends [who recommended trends],” Devonald said. ”At the time, when we were [freshmen] they told me about [Fizz], and that’s how I kind of got connected and addicted to [the app].”
Social media is not limited to students. Teachers at Mater Dei and other adults use social media for both work and entertainment, as well as keeping up and monitoring trends shared by students. Many adults in the Monarch community tend to gravitate toward Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Executive Director Of Communications and Media Relations Allison Bergeron ‘96, shares how she enjoys her social media apps for personal entertainment.
“I love [videos] on Instagram,” Bergeron said. “I’m Gen X, and so we’ve lived five decades and survived pandemics. I find [it funny] when each generation [parodies] the other generation. [And] I find there’s a lot of entertainment value in cat videos– anything about animals.”
The virtual world is not always just used for entertainment purposes. Many businesses employ seasoned professionals such as digital marketers, content managers and creators, public relations specialists, and more to oversee the content and promote the organizations they work for. Schools like Mater Dei and many others in Orange County also use social media for audience and community engagement.
“[Professionally], what I enjoy about these [social media] apps is being able to share Mater Dei’s story in a short, innovative, and hopefully viral way, so that people can get a feeling for what the school is like. And whether that drives them to come to campus, to take a tour, to visit, to apply, it gives them an opportunity to experience Mater Dei for themselves,” Bergeron said.
However, with the widespread and unfiltered use of apps and internet trends, it is hard to control what is being done or said, which can lead to problems, like cyberbullying and anger issues. This is especially prevalent amongst teens. Bergeron advises students about the dangers of apps and trends.
“Be careful what you’re putting out there… social media is meant to connect people, but it can be so divisive and so hurtful,” Bergeron said.
Technology is continually advancing and changing in our modern world. With that comes many pros but there are also pitfalls. New apps are continually being created and finding popularity. Being aware of the trends and owning responsibility of the uses and what one chooses to create and share is the first step in ensuring students and adults alike are living up to Monarch character traits of honor, glory, and love.
