Day after day, I wander through the halls that witness my academic journey as a Mount Royal University student. Making note of little more than the screen in my hand, I walk from one class to another, staring at my phone, replying to unanswered text messages and ensuring that I am up to speed on the well-being of everyone — friends and strangers alike.

It seems more and more the norm is that our connections are stored in the palms of our hands.

Rather than making personal bonds, we increasingly resort to screening the social media profiles of our peers to learn more about them. I myself am guilty of this. I have roamed Mount Royal’s halls for several years, feeling linked to my classmates through social media, but often seeking a deeper connection than what 140 characters on Twitter, or a snapshot of life on Instagram, could ever supply.

“This culture of silence that we have created makes us crave authenticity,” says Caroline McDonald-Harker, PhD, professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. “We gravitate toward stories or people that normalize our own experiences — this is why initiatives such as Humans of Mount Royal University (HOMRU) and the Living Library are so important.”

“The difficulty lies within the superficial reality that social media has created,” she says. “It has created a different type of community within our society. And, the lack of personalization and authenticity has perpetuated a culture of silence.”

We use these public platforms to create a persona that highlights our best selves — whether that’s a realistic portrayal of who we are, or, of what we’re trying to sell to others. This lack of veracity has resulted in a sense of intrigue toward platforms such as HOMRU, because they’re different. HOMRU offers a less processed and more authentic experience, and attracts us because it’s an area where students, faculty and staff at Mount Royal share personal stories.