Jessica Freedman

While the pandemic has accelerated the transition into suburban adulthood for 30-somethings, many 20-somethings headed north for a very different reason: they were moving back in with their parents. 

After a summer of uncertainty, schools across the state will be welcoming students back to campus at the end of August in varying capacities. But something important is missing. The biggest threat to campus safety is one of the primary reasons why students are coming back to school in the first place: they want their social lives back.

On June 4, an account named “ct.police.reform.project” appeared on Instagram. Amidst a wave of local accounts created to publicize protests around the country, this page stood out. While other accounts of a similar nature served as merely bulletin boards, this one aimed to take Instagram activism one step further.

Since its 2010 launch, Instagram, the free photo and video sharing application, has morphed from a superficial personal scrapbook to a remarkably forceful vehicle for social change. While Instagram provided a platform for activists in the past, the way it captured the nation’s attention and focus in this particular moment in time has been unprecedented.