TikTok for College Students: New Classmate Connection Feature

TikTok Launches Campus Verification for Student Connections

Mirroring strategies employed by Facebook during its initial growth phase, TikTok is introducing a new functionality designed to facilitate connections between college students. This feature, known as Campus Verification, empowers users to identify and interact with peers attending the same institution.

How Campus Verification Works

Accessing this feature requires users to visit their profile settings and select the "Add school" option. Subsequently, they must input the name of their college or university and specify their anticipated graduation year.

Verification of enrollment is achieved through the submission of a valid academic email address. Upon successful verification, the user’s college affiliation and graduation year will be prominently displayed on their TikTok profile.

Users can then explore a dedicated page for their school, filtering the student directory by graduation year. The platform also allows for sorting, prioritizing users with the highest follower counts.

Currently, the feature is available at over 6,000 universities. This broad reach is made possible through TikTok’s collaboration with UNiDAYS, a recognized student verification service.

The Goal: Fostering Campus Community

TikTok’s stated objective with this new feature is to establish its platform as a central hub for fostering real-world relationships and a sense of belonging within college campuses. This echoes the original vision of Facebook when it debuted in 2004, initially connecting students at Harvard University.

The introduction of Campus Verification may be particularly beneficial for students seeking to expand their social circles on campus. However, it also prompts discussions regarding digital privacy, as it could potentially simplify the process of tracking individuals online.

It is important to note that participation in this feature is entirely optional. Students who wish to maintain a separation between their TikTok activity and their academic life are free to refrain from adding their school information to their profile.

Similar Features in Development Elsewhere

Interestingly, Instagram was observed testing a comparable feature last year. This feature would have enabled users to showcase their school affiliation and graduation year, facilitating connections with fellow students. The status of Instagram’s development is currently unknown.

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