As if social media hasn’t already made today’s world accessible enough, the new application “jrnl” makes it even easier to keep an update of everything happening on campus literally in the palm of your hand.

The mobile app’s features are similar to popular sites such as Twitter in that users are able to write whatever they please in posts, or journals, in 140 characters or less. But instead of the feed of posts being determined by followers like on Twitter, jrnl divides posts up into five popular topics that are relevant to everyone on campus. Categories include the bar scene, crime alerts, food deals, Greek and general. It is up to the user which categories they wish to follow and have on their jrnl feed.

“I found that when I was using Twitter, I wouldn’t be as interested in what people were saying as much as what the actual current events,” said the founder of the app, Tony Chuinard, junior in LAS. “The idea behind (jrnl) is to really focus on the niches here at U of I.”

While Twitter has the hashtag feature that groups popular topics, jrnl essentially acts as one giant Twitter newsfeed where everyone using the app can contribute to one account. But similar to well-known websites such as Reddit or Digg, jrnl subscribers have the ability to vote for journal posts, making more relevant ones popular by bumping them to the top.

And the content on jrnl isn’t necessarily the same as any other news source on Twitter.

“I use it every day because there’s news on it that’s not on normal sites,” said Hasan Abad, senior in LAS. “There are funny posts, like someone stole the W from the E-Week sign. Or I get updates from the basketball team, since I’ve lost hope in them so I don’t watch them.”

After being active for only about a month with more than 350 users, the free app has made steady progress.

Chuinard said not only does it gain new users almost on a daily basis, but about half of the users actually come back and use it regularly, which is largely owed to the convenience of the push notifications on iPhones and Android phones, which are the only two services the app is currently available on.

“I check it every time I get a notification,” said Janelle Wingo, junior in LAS. “I also usually check it before I go out to see where everyone will be going because people post about drink specials.”

Users have the option to be anonymous as well, which provides them with more of a cushion than what they would normally post. This could be both a good and bad thing, but it makes people more comfortable posting anything that could be relevant to the student population.

In addition, jrnl has a verified account feature, aimed at promoting local businesses through specials. Businesses will have the ability to add links to posts and promote themselves in a more legitimate and trusted fashion.

With high hopes of gaining popularity, the outlook for the app appears promising. Right now, it’s just about spreading the word and getting more users to contribute.

“I give it five stars,” Abad said. “It just needs good marketing and more people to hear about it.”

Chuinard said he is still looking into software updates such as potentially adding a commenting feature, enabling users to communicate with one another with the purpose of clarifying posts or helping people make connections more easily. Future goals include expanding by potentially being invested in and acquiring office space and expanding to other schools.

The app is free and is available in the iTunes app store or the Android market.