Everyone is in agreement that the terms innovation, social media and digital revolution are some of the most overused in the current American and global lexicon. Brands, celebrities and educators have largely embraced the rise of these societal changes on top of how we use them in our own personal lives, so it’s easy to grow tired of discussing their impact.

Personally, I am an avid user of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and LinkedIn, and remain interested in countless others. As an advertising major, it is crucial that I also maintain a presence on these sites while staying aware of the changing landscape. As a result, I have always been fascinated by how students who are studying a discipline unrelated to the media use these sites and various innovations.

While considering this point recently, a current phenomenon within the University community caught my eye. An anonymous person – presumably a student – recently launched a Facebook page titled “University of Illinois Secret Admirer.” The page features a link to a SurveyMonkey form where students can anonymously submit their current “crushes” that, in turn, are posted by the page’s administrator for all to see. The page has garnered a large following in a matter of weeks and now has over 3,000 likes.

Aside from the page’s following, it has gained high levels of activity from students submitting crushes as well as students liking and commenting on posts. This highly active community is a perfect example of how college students are beginning to use social media in ways beyond the typical methods of connecting with current friends or talking to complete strangers from all over the world.

While this may not seem extraordinary, it is noteworthy for what it can mean to the campus community. In years past, students were confined to connecting with each other by meeting in dorms, clubs or the Greek system. Those deep connections are obviously still alive and well, but these new outlets for communication allow students to interact over common interests specific to students at the University. Though the case above might seem juvenile, its impact is undeniable.

Other examples of social connections between fellow Illini occurring online include the use of Twitter hashtags for sports teams, the UIUC Reddit page  and the recently notable Facebook pages for the efforts promoting and discouraging the implementation of a new mascot.

On top of these fascinating, but surface-level uses of localized social media, Facebook has implemented an array of groups specific to majors, interests and subjects within the University to encourage these types of connections.

For example, one group that I frequently check is the UIUC Jobs and Internships group. While many of the posts in this group are irrelevant to me, some will occasionally catch my eye and have even lead to me applying for the internship. Another example would be the group dedicated to marketing majors. This group invites students to post about different clubs, events, internships and even class advice for students who share their major. In that group and others, you will also see students posting makeshift advertisements to sell books from the previous semester to an audience they know will be interested.

The combination of these University-specific social media sites, pages and groups have undoubtedly strengthened the community or, at the very least, the flow of ideas within the community.

Drawbacks of these highly democratic forms of media arise frequently as cyber bullying becomes more prevalent and events such as the Steubenville rape case have captured national media attention. These instances showcase how the free flow of ideas and information will also include rumors, lies or malicious attacks. These situations are obviously unfortunate, but are also realities of modern life. The internet, like any democracy, is strongest when its citizens participate, respect each other and follow the rule of law.

Fortunately, the University community has taken this democratic spirit to heart through its localized social media efforts. By forming these functional means of communicating about the topics we care most about, students are making genuine impacts on the community around them. Some are big, some are small just as it is with local politics in American society.

It is my hope that this community will only strengthen as time passes so that we, as students, can continue to push ideas, fun, excitement, opportunities and even University transparency.

John is a junior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and @JohnBuysse.