Instagram is testing a new feature that will allow Students to add their institution or university to their profile, allowing them to locate friends and connect with students on the same campus.
This feature is currently available for US users who now add their college or University Name to their Profile Bio. By tapping the College Banner in Bio, instagram list other students from that same university, as it shows as a directory of college students. It even allows you to filter students by year.
Adding College Banner to Bio Process
To add your school, college or university, users need to complete verification through the UNIDAYS Platform by using your student email. Once completed, the School started appearing on your Proflie Bio and you were able to browse the directory of students who had already done the verification process.
As is Classic Meta fashion, it is also a copied feature; now it is copied from Tiktok. Recently Instagram also added Map feature copied from Snapchat.
This College Banner feature definitely helps instagram users to connect with their peers easily, as US Students no need to ask for Instagram ID everytime they make a friend.
Another Privacy Nightmare
In Brightside it is a welcome addition but on the other hand, it is a privacy nightmare. As it makes it easier for stalkers to track your Online Activities. It is because even if your profile is private, Your College friends may not be, so stalkers easily browse your college directory and find your college friends’ profiles and start following their profiles to find your activities.
As of Now this feature is Optional so I highly recommend you turn off the feature if you want some privacy; otherwise, you can use it without worry.
That’s it. There are two asspect to this new college-focused feature: one can find new classmates on instagram or one can find one’s old classmates.
What are your thoughts on it and guess which feature Instagram will copy next.