As Oscar Wilde might have observed: to watch Neighbours once a day may be unfortunate, but to view it twice in an afternoon guarantees that you are studying at one of our esteemed seats of higher learning.

Once, an encyclopedic knowledge of Ramsay Street’s internal politics was as crucial a weapon in the student’s armoury as downing an alcopop. No more. Now plugged-in students are leaving behind those old faithfuls of terrestrial TV, glossy magazines and commercial radio in favour of more interactive realms. You are the vanguard of a creative revolution: blogging, podcasting, uploading video clips and discovering the newest artists or bands at the pulse websites.

Mobile phones, computers and high-speed internet connections are the key to this virtual universe which has become a style bible, hip hangout and entertainment hotspot all rolled into one. This summer, a report by Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, found that 16- to 24-year-olds are watching seven hours of television per week fewer than the average viewer and significantly less terrestrial television than ever. Why the sudden decline? Because now you can create your own audiovisual playlists online by reaching for the shows you want, when you want. Forget rushing home to catch the latest episode of Lost. Watch it streamed live at Channel 4’s website instead: tinyurl.com/ewnlw. Fancy some hip-hop? Head to the BBC’s slick urban-music offering (www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra). For comedy, on to Adam and Joe’s podcast at Xfm (tinyurl.com/mz6wl) before catching the Rapture’s new video at uk.launch.yahoo.com, which is bursting with hot vids, including the latest singles from Justin Timberlake and Scissor Sisters and studio performances by Lily Allen.

“We are about to go from the predominantly text-based static world into the video-rich, dynamic, two-way environment,” says Ashley Highfield, the BBC’s director of new media and technology, talking of the new wave of participatory websites that are replacing the old media for anybody under 25. “This is where you really start to give people total control of their media consumption.” The online radio station Last.fm takes empowerment to an unparalleled level. No more need you play Russian roulette with the radio dial. Simply enter the name of an artist you want and be listening within seconds. The service will even scan your collection and tailor a
playlist by matching your tastes with those of like-minded members.

Glossy style magazines used to be a staple of any self-respecting student’s bedroom. They alerted visitors to how cool you were; they kept you on the qui vive; and they made excellent coasters. However, online lifestyle magazines trump their print predecessors with dazzling rich media. Why settle for printed words about the hyped-up electro-pop geeks Hot Chip when you can head to the BBC’s Collective, a slick weekly arts e-zine, to read a critique, hear their music and watch a live performance all at once?

Into the Storm is a unique digital bible where fashion, travel and art are brought to life by the sort of high-concept design normally found in glossy magazines — though here it is interactive. Subscription e-mails such as Flavourpill and Urban Junkies mean you will never miss a gig or an exhibition.

More than two-thirds of under-24s hook up at social-networking sites such as Bebo and Facebook. These web portals, where you can post video clips, listen to music and chatter endlessly, have become crucial connected hubs through which to mastermind part-time work and social lives at uni. Facebook, in particular, has replaced the common room as the dating, gossiping and procrastinating hot spot. “Facebook does run my life,” says Sian Davies, 19, a student at Oxford University. “I check it at least once a day. It’s easier and cheaper than texting or calling, so nights out do get organised that way.”

Memberships centre on institutions, so students in Bristol, say, or Newcastle, share the same virtual space — social gold dust for nervous freshers, since you can make a telling first impression with a super-hip personal page, the 21st-century equivalent of wearing your best outfit on the first day. Just make sure you get it right, or your brave gesture could cast you as the “wacky” guy who bursts into the common room for the first time sporting a Hawaiian shirt and shades.

For followers of indie music, Bandwagon (bandwagon.co.uk) could be the hottest gig online. Any act can post MP3s and ring tones here, for downloading. This UK-based hang-out also encourages members to stalk their favourite bands with mobile-phone cameras and post pictures of them shopping at Tesco. Be one of the first digital groupies!

At Microsoft’s Windows Live Spaces (www.spaces.live.com) you can blog, share photos and make friends. Almost one in five 16- to 24-year-olds has a website or a blog, so you’ll be in good company. It’s simple to use, even for beginners. Similar claims are made for Trouble Homegrown (www.troublehomegrown.co.uk), but the emphasis is more on fun. This online offshoot of a satellite television channel encourages you to post “video, audio, photo, whatever” on chaotic pages covered in splurges of colour.

It was inevitable that once camera phones became de rigueur, places to post snaps online would spring up in droves. Text those pix of your flatmates falling all over the place to photobox.co.uk, a photo-sharing website that friends can view on their handsets, and where they can post their own comments.

Can there be a better way to document the best years of your life — from freshers’ week to finals? Sex, clicks and rock’n’roll.

CARRY ON UP YOUR CAMPUS

Trendier unis boast online television stations that keep viewers up to speed with campus life and, cough, student humour. Here are six of the best.

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