MeToo WashU, an advocacy Instagram account for survivors of sexual violence, has become a microcosm of the larger tensions on campus around Israel and Palestine following two posts published on its account, Nov. 29 and Dec. 11. 

After decades of connecting Washington University students, picture-based online directory service WebSTAC FACES has stopped operating due to the rise in popularity of social media.

“I honestly started making videos because I was bored during quarantine last May… I wanted to see how far I could take it,” said Sophia Xu, a first-year Ervin Scholar and part time-YouTuber who has accumulated 4.01K subscribers in less than a year. Xu is one of several Wash. U. students who have found fame online.

The anonymous instagram account @stillwaiting_washu, which provides a platform for students to anonymously share their negative experiences with the University’s mental health services, has spent the last two months raising awareness of inadequate mental health resources and calling for change.

As the world has shifted online, so have the organizations working to make it a more equitable place. The Washington University Graduate and Undergraduate Workers Union (WUGWU) has changed their organizational structure and their advocacy to meet the unique demands of the pandemic.

Gaining more than 2,500 followers in less than three weeks, the WashU Covidiots Instagram account features images of students on or near campus in tightly-packed groups, sometimes not wearing masks.

Although gyms may be closed, that doesn’t mean students can’t do their favorite workouts right in the comfort of their homes.

St. Louis stands as one of the country’s most vibrant food centers, and one Washington University student is making the most of it. For food blogger and senior Lynette Chen (Instagram: @lynniethefoodie), food is more than just a part of life—it has also become a personal passion.

Given the impracticality of the woman-who-can-do-it-all trope, I’m left wondering: Can anyone really do it all?

From Facebook group “Eclipse Memes for Post-Totality Tweens,” to Snapchat, to the world of Instagram, social media is helping to redefine students’ experiences of being a part of the Wash. U. community.