Less Scrolling, More Living
Everyone says college means finding yourself — you know, making friends, learning, exploring random interests at 2 AM, building lifelong relationships. As a recent graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), I know this truth firsthand, yet I also see how easily those meaningful, character-shaping moments can get lost in the chaos of suddenly being tossed into a brand new community. In fact, this struggle became a reality for the first half of my college experience.
System Overload
I started at PLNU in 2021 in the midst of COVID, when everything felt confusing and disorganized. Discovering campus events, information and clubs meant relying on word of mouth — if my friends didn’t talk about it, I didn’t know about it. Occasionally, I caught an update from our Associated Student Body Instagram page (aka ASB, our student government), but for the most part, I flew blindly — missing events and overlooking resources entirely, not because I wasn’t interested, but because I didn’t hear about them.
It felt a bit ironic — I chose a school renowned for its compassionate culture and tight-knit community, yet I spent so much time trying to figure out where to get information about how to experience this wonderful culture. I felt like I was missing out. I didn’t even know PLNU posted the cafeteria menu online until sophomore year — info which would’ve saved me plenty of wasted trips to the dining hall…and many questionable food choices. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to bash Point Loma at all. They did a good job putting the right information out there — it just came with a massive learning curve to find it. Even as someone eager to dive into what college offered, I found it surprisingly difficult to do so.
Replacing Chaos with Community
Things started to change junior year when Point Loma launched “myPLNU,” the new campus portal powered by Pathify. I’ll admit, I wasn’t totally sold at first. As a newly elected ASB director, I knew convincing people to embrace change wouldn’t come easily. We’ve all fallen for the hype of “game-changing” updates or new tech promising to make life easier, but somehow make everything more complicated (looking at you, Apple iOS updates).
But this time felt different. Instead of throwing another system in the mix, “myPLNU” started replacing the once chaotic bundle of communication. Suddenly, this one platform did the job of numerous websites and platforms. Checking my grades, finding interesting campus clubs and staying up to date with the latest campus events with the all-in-one calendar (what a revolutionary idea!) stopped feeling like separate chores scattered across the internet. It’s important to note that adoption didn’t happen overnight — in fact, many students continue adjusting to the new all-in-one app — but little by little, the effects of this incredible platform started to take hold.
It’s no coincidence that last year, PLNU experienced its highest event attendance rate since COVID — and a surge of students stepping into leadership roles. More students showed up because they saw upcoming events and calendars in one central place: “myPLNU.” It is now easier than ever for students who want to be involved to actually get involved, without pestering those who want to stay in their lane.
Digital Done Right
In a world where social media platforms are fighting for attention and then selling it back to advertisers (who are also fighting for your attention), finding a digital space built to simply serve its users feels revolutionary. “myPLNU” doesn’t push students to doomscroll for hours or pressure them to share content to a story.
With the ultimate goal of increasing in-person interaction and strengthening local, in-person community, “myPLNU” returns to what digital platforms were meant to do — serve users, not beg for their attention. Instead of scrolling through Instagram trying to piece together what’s happening on campus (and inevitably getting distracted by whatever the algorithm decides to feed you) or relying on friends to pass along important info — students now discover things on their own and then put down their phones to go experience the power of the Christ-centered community at Loma.
Now, to be fair, by the time “myPLNU” came around, I’d already established my path to leadership and community at Loma. I found friends pretty quickly and slowly started getting involved in more campus events, but I also saw the struggles many other students experienced. This led me to get involved in the platform rollout, not out of obligation but because I truly believed in it and the impact it could make on new and returning students alike.
In a world where social media platforms are
-Colby douglas
fighting for attention and then selling it back
to advertisers, finding a digital space built
to simply serve its users feels revolutionary.
The Real College Experience
“myPLNU” literally encouraged me and my peers to spend less time online. When finding up-to-date info feels easy, you skip the hassle of jumping between apps or digging through websites for updates and ultimately getting distracted by the endless attention grabs out there. I trusted the information would be there when I needed it, freeing me to focus on the real stuff.
College is a time where people discover who they are, independent from the communities that raised them. There’s something so powerful about navigating a journey alongside peers who are all in the same boat. At Point Loma, I saw how “myPLNU” reinforced this ideal — when students find the information they need, they have the time and energy to build meaningful relationships that define this pivotal time.
More Time for What Matters
The best part? From here on out, incoming PLNU students will only know an integrated experience — they won’t waste an afternoon trying to figure out where basic information lives or miss out on amazing opportunities because the invite is buried in a random email they never opened. They’ll get more time for what actually matters — diving deep into the immense opportunities Loma offers.
“myPLNU” works today because our campus administrators listened to student feedback. If schools want to increase engagement or make our lives easier, they need to listen to what’s really working (or what’s not). My biggest piece of advice? Check in with your end users because we’re the ones dealing with these systems daily.
Now, as I step into the “real world,” I’m grateful to experience both sides of this transformation. The contrast revealed what’s possible when colleges nail their technology — it strengthens the deeper connections that make these four years truly life-changing. It reminded me what social media platforms are supposed to be for: socializing, not doomscrolling.
This experience isn’t limited to universities. In a world where dozens of platforms constantly compete for our most precious resource — our attention — we need solutions resisting this tempting current. The best technology won’t beg for attention or sell your information to the highest bidder. Instead, it earns trust, does its job and then steps out of the way so you’re free to focus on connection and community — real life. This is exactly what Pathify accomplishes at universities worldwide. Because when technology works the way it should, that’s digital done right.
About Colby Douglas
Colby Douglas graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in May 2025 with a degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. At PLNU, he served as an Alpha Leader, mentoring incoming freshmen as they adjusted to college life. His exceptional leadership and passion for student advocacy led to his election as the Director of Student Relations and ultimately, ASB President during his senior year. Colby currently works in operations for a technology company and plans to pursue a law degree after a gap year of work. In his free time, Colby enjoys staying active with soccer, volleyball, surfing, running and biking. When he’s not on the field, court, trails or ocean, you’ll find him jamming on his guitar or spending time with friends.
Colby’s always eager to expand his perspective and make a difference in the world. “I believe if we were all 10% more open-minded to hearing other people’s perspectives, the world would be 10x better.” If this topic sparks your interest, Colby welcomes connections on LinkedIn and would love to hear from you!
