A critique of my generation, “millennials,” is that we are always on our phones. We’re either texting at the dinner table, Snapchatting during conversations, or even tweeting mid-interview. But what if millennials are actually using their smartphones in ways that benefit them? As a college student, my phone is always charged and on me, but not for the reasons you may think.
There is an app now for everything and anything, but which are the most crucial to millennials? Here are five of the most useful and essential apps college students everywhere are using:
1. CNN
In college, it’s hard to find time to sit down and watch the news or read a newspaper. The CNN app allows students to get headlines as notifications, so they are able to stay informed about current events.
2. LinkedIn
Students in college are always trying to make connections for potential jobs and internships. LinkedIn has allowed students to find connections through searching their desired jobs, common interests, or finding alumni from their universities. This has helped us millennials create meaningful relationships with people who work in fields we desire to work in.
3. Venmo
In this day in age, it is rare for college kids to carry around cash on them. We rely so much on our technology, that even paying a friend back for dinner happens on our smartphones. Venmo has allowed us to depend on other people paying for us, and us repaying them through the app.
4. Uber
Before 2014 when Uber came to Ann Arbor and other college towns, students had to rely on cash and local cab companies for transportation. This meant that students had to plan their rides in advance and always have fare on them. Now, millennials can request a ride and within minutes, be ready to go. Uber also allows for fare to be split between members of the ride.
5. GroupMe
GroupMe allows for students and friends to communicate all at once through an app. For sororities and fraternities, GroupMe is the main resource for pledge classes to converse with each other.
So next time you see a millennial or college student on their phone nonstop, rethink what they might be doing. They might not be texting, or Snapchatting, rather using technology to their advantage.
