Understanding Gen-Z College Student Needs Regarding Social Media Apps through a Case Study on Bondit, a Social Media App for College Students

Abstract

Gen-Z college students are the first generation of college students that did not experience a world without the internet (Chillakuri, 2020). They have access to social media platforms to connect with peers, and they have access to multiple websites that their college provides in terms of campus resources. Despite the wealth of resources that they enjoy, the college retention rate of Gen-Z students is lower compared to previous generations due to poor mental health (Selingo, 2018). Existing research attributes this phenomenon to a lack of sense of belonging (Thomas et al., 2020) that is induced by existing popular social media platforms, such as Instagram (Knight-McCord et al., 2016), and the absence of features specifically designed to promote that feeling amongst college peers. College is not merely a place for accumulating knowledge, but to meet and socialize with peers, and to inspire creations that could resolve some of humanity’s biggest challenges. How might we help Gen-Z college students better bond with college peers through social media so that they can have a more positive college experience?

This study aims to learn the needs of Gen-Z college students and identify social media app features that could promote college bonding through using Bondit, a new social media app for college student bonding, as a case study. This research also contributes with functional requirements and design recommendations for social media platforms that aim to create better college bonding experiences for Gen-Z college students.