Maypril Edition 2026: Why Communication in Schools Has Shifted to Social Media

Leo’s alarm clock hadn’t even finished its first cycle of beeps when he was out of the door. He arrives at school expecting the usual barren, desert-like halls, but was surprised that they were filled with chaotic laughter and energetic chatter. Each student’s voice was an instrument in a kind of morning orchestra. Confused, he asks Sarah what all the commotion is about.

"What’s the deal?” he asks, nudging her. “Did they finally fix the vending machines?"

Sarah doesn’t even look up from her phone. “The talent show results, Leo. They dropped like ten minutes ago.”

Leo freezes. A cold knot forms in his stomach. “Wait… what talent show?”

“The sign-ups closed last night. It was all over the Student Council’s Instagram stories for like, a week.”

Leo’s backpack felt ten pounds heavier as the books he was holding slipped from his grip, thudding against the linoleum. How had he missed something that everyone in the building seemed to know?

The answer to Leo’s story lies in how communication in schools has changed. What used to be shared through morning PA announcements, flyers, and teachers is now often posted on platforms like Instagram for students and WhatsApp for parents. As schools increasingly rely on social media for communication, information becomes quicker to share but also less accessible to kids without it. This creates a divide between students who are connected and those who are not. What happened to Leo reflects real life moments that thousands of high schoolers across the globe have sadly faced.

BACKGROUND

The migration to social media didn’t happen by accident. For students, using platforms feels more natural. Posting a quick 15-second story is definitely easier than navigating through writing professional emails to their peers.

In most modern high schools, social media has effectively replaced the traditional announcements. While the “official” word might still live on the school website, the actual conversation happens on online platforms.

Clubs, sports teams, and student governments use them to post everything from meeting locations and practice cancellations to fundraiser links and event themes. This transition often catches students off guard as they move from middle school to high school. In middle school, communication is highly structured with the use of Google Classroom and Discord. In high school, however, students are expected to exhibit independence. 

This convenience comes with a hidden tax. By decentralizing communication, schools have inadvertently created a system of belonging. If you aren't chronically online, or if your parents limit your screen time, you might be missing opportunities. For the student who prefers to disconnect after 3:00 PM, school becomes a frustrating game of catch-up. Information trickles down to them by word-of-mouth and often when it’s already too late to act.

Jaylene Chiang, an 8th grader, mentions that she “checks [her] Instagram more than [her] school email because it’s more interesting [and informational.]”

EXAMPLES

The issue moves from a nuisance to a systemic problem when social media becomes a prerequisite for participation. Take, for example, the election process at Hopkins. Students running for freshman class officers were recently required to have an Instagram or Facebook presence to campaign. The election results? They were messaged or posted to a story before coming out on our Daily Bulletin.

Tejas Sai Saran, one of the authors of this article, faced exactly this problem when trying to run. He was excited as many of his friends were telling him that he would be the perfect candidate. 

As a student without much social media other than Discord and Google Chat, he was devastated to hear that Instagram and Facebook Messenger are essential to running. He tried convincing his parents, but they declined the negotiations. 

However, 7th grade student Nicholas Reesey, says that “it is [kind of] fair for Freshman class officers to use Instagram as it has an easy to use interface and has highly updated high school pages.”

This mentality extends to certain extracurricular programs in high school as well. Although some clubs like the Math Club and DECA don’t officially rely on Instagram, they do use Discord servers to manage it. If a club uses an Instagram DM group for primary announcements, a student without an account is barred from the inner workings of the group. 

CONCLUSION

Social media is a powerful tool for engagement, but it shouldn't be the only tool. To ensure every student has an equal shot at starring in the talent show, making the team, or getting elected, schools must find a way to bridge the gap between online platforms and the hallway. Our recommendation? As sad as it is to say, students heading to a high school within Fremont Unified, especially to Washington and American, must at least have a Discord account to stay updated. According to the Freshman Class Officers' information document, every class will have its own Discord server. 

Until then, students like Leo will keep dropping their books, wondering how the world moved on without them while they were simply trying to pay attention in class.