Walk into the Stu on any weekday afternoon, and you will probably see the same scene: couches and tables full of friends sitting together, staring at their phones or computers until someone suddenly bursts out laughing at a TikTok video and everyone else immediately leans over to see what they missed. The moment feels trivial, but it captures something real about how Milton students stay connected today. Social media has become a second language on campus. At a school that prides itself on Harkness discussions, healthy debate, and genuine connections between one another, the popularity of apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat raises questions about how we communicate with one another. These online platforms have increasingly shaped our friendships and daily interactions, even beginning to influence our own personal identities and sense of belonging, strengthening–but also challenging—the Milton community.
For decades, Milton’s ideology has been that face-to-face conversation is how people learn best. The Harkness table is a clear example of this belief—a space where every student has a voice, where discussions are meant to be thoughtful, and where active listening takes the forefront. In classrooms, dorms, and the Forbes Dining Hall, students are encouraged to exchange ideas. Even in leadership roles, which students are encouraged to join, the needs of the student body are prioritized, and these needs are only recognized through the exchange of ideas. This culture of conversation is a core part of how Milton students understand each other. But now that so much of our communication happens online, that shift has started to change the way we normally do things.
Group chats, Snapchat streaks, and Instagram DMs keep conversations going long after classes end. Online chatting creates a sense of constant closeness among students—even those who rarely see each other in person. It is also common for clubs to organize meetings through Instagram stories, a much more efficient method than posters or USP announcements—who really pays attention to those? These platforms allow information to spread quickly, and they help students navigate their busy lives at Milton. But the speed and convenience come with major trade-offs: when so much interaction is happening through snaps or short texts, conversations can be quite surface-level. These brief exchanges by phone begin to replace the slower, more thoughtful exchanges that Milton traditionally values. Social media expands the scope of how Milton students connect, and not just in the style that Milton’s Harkness tables and common room couches, and Straus patio advocate for.
Despite its shortcomings, social media can also strengthen Milton’s communal identity. Platforms provide students, especially those new to Milton, with an easier entry into campus life. Furthermore, social media can help students discover various clubs, affinity groups, sports teams, SAA events, and even performances they might have otherwise missed. Online platforms are used by many clubs and organizations to let students know of events and opportunities. On top of that, online spaces may offer students who feel overwhelmed in face-to-face settings a more comfortable way to express themselves or connect with others who share similar interests. Real friendships and connections could result from digital interactions, and collaboration across grades, genders, and student demographics has increased thanks to online platforms. Social media thus doesn’t just take away from the culture of Milton; it also widens it, helping students actually find belonging and build connections beyond the classroom.
So, as social media increasingly impacts students’ daily lives, it's impossible not to notice how it's changing the way we communicate with each other. It provides many benefits: faster communication, more interactions between different student groups, and new ways to build friendships and community. At the same time, online platforms challenge the thoughtful face-to-face dialogue that Milton truly values, sometimes pulling students into brisker, less meaningful forms of interaction. It’s not as straightforward as things purely getting better or worse. Instead, it’s a change that asks us to pay attention to how we talk to one another —knowing when it helps to be online, and when it's better to put the phone down and actually talk, the way Milton has always encouraged us to. Social media doesn’t have to pull the community out of Milton. If used thoughtfully, we can ensure that even in the digital age, the voices around the Harkness table continue to matter.