蜜桃影视

Gen X got information about college from dense guidebooks. Millennials got its information from Google and college websites. Where are Gen Z and Gen Alpha looking for this information?

Over the past few decades, the internet has increased teenagers鈥� access to information about their options after graduation. Theoretically, this could lead to more equitable outcomes for students from a range of backgrounds. However, that window of shared information is quickly closing. 

A from College Access: Research & Action, a New York City-based nonprofit organization whose work includes peer mentoring programs and whole-school change to increase college access, shows that social media has created a new digital divide when it comes to information about postsecondary education.

In 2026, social media algorithms have the biggest impact on what shows up on young people鈥檚 feeds. Our data shows that there is an entire algorithm for teenagers who want to explore their college options 鈥� if they know to look for it. 

On TikTok and Instagram, users can find videos covering every aspect of the college process: how to write the perfect college essay, what to look for on campus tours, which scholarships to apply for and what essentials to buy for your dorm. Proactive college-bound high schoolers can curate their feeds to include this kind of content if they take the initiative to search for similar topics.聽

While this content may not always be 100% accurate, the research participants reported that the information did meaningfully contribute to their postsecondary searchers, especially for first-generation students who didn’t have as much access to information about college.

But what does social media say to high schoolers who don鈥檛 鈥渢ell鈥� their apps they鈥檙e interested in college? Mostly that they should do anything else. According to a , only 7% of the content about college is positive, and negative posts outnumber positive ones five to one. A quick scan of young people’s feeds will show negative posts that range from targeted attacks on higher education from figures like the late Charlie Kirk to get-rich-quick schemes that are often misleading, if not illegal.聽

One of the main problems is a lack of context: The algorithm can very effectively provide a feed of compelling options, but an online economy of soundbites and 鈥渉ot takes鈥� doesn鈥檛 reward nuance.

Several students described videos featuring people talking about the catastrophic consequences of taking out student loans, which gives the impression that all higher education is unaffordable.

However, many student loan borrowers struggling with repayment are in more complex situations: The bigger loans are often from graduate school or elite, private institutions that only represent a small fraction of college enrollment. A young person scrolling through content misses this larger context, and if no adults are addressing it, then they begin ruling out options for their futures.

This phenomenon isn鈥檛 new, it鈥檚 just changing. Historically, access to information about college has always been unequal, since wealthy students whose parents went to college have that others must intentionally seek out. Low-income and first-generation students have historically been , including private, for-profit institutions, expensive trade schools and a system more invested in seeing BIPOC students not furthering their education.聽

In the past, these strategies have been in plain sight, from subway ads to army recruitment tables in the cafeteria. Now, so many of these interactions happen on young people鈥檚 phones, essentially invisible to their families, counselors and other trustworthy adults.

So, what do we do about it? Is it the job of over-worked college counselors to follow every viral TikTok trend? Well, no. The population most aware of what鈥檚 happening online is always going to be young people, making them the experts and most important voices in these conversations. By asking high schoolers what their feeds are telling them about college, adults can open the door to learning not just what messages are out there, but how these students are making sense of them. 

It鈥檚 also important to understand why young people turn to social media. Apps like Instagram and TikTok offer users the ability to hear real stories from real people, from different backgrounds with different perspectives. Counselors and educators can share their experiences navigating college and career, including their missteps and lessons learned. 

During these conversations, young people can share the options they鈥檝e become familiar with online, giving counselors an insight into the processes they may not otherwise be privy to. Opportunities can arise for trusted adults to provide context and perspective to the often incomplete information shared on social media, providing an essential service to fill in the blanks for young people.

In the past few years, there has been a shift toward limiting how much young people use social media. Fourteen states have now passed , and Australia became the first country to from making social media accounts in December 2025. While these measures have good intentions, it is unlikely that adults can fully eliminate the influence of social media on teenagers. 

Even in phone-free schools, educators can, and must, invite their students to share how social media is impacting their thinking about postsecondary paths. Without this guidance, students will still be affected by online messaging, but without the resources to truly comprehend it.

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