*Warning: The following discusses themes of suicide and harassment.
The ragebait and mockery on Fizz is all fun and games for a while. Until real accusations start rolling out. Until students feel empowered to leak their associate dean’s phone number to anti-LGBTQ churches and key his car. Until, our Dean of Students Jessica Edonick announces to SGA on Oct. 15 that one of our peers stands on a balcony in CSI, considering suicide.
Over this past semester, Fizz has been a hot topic — a hotter topic than usual. It has been around for a couple of years now, and it’s not the first of its kind. We’ve had Yik Yak, TU Missed Connections, TU Snaps. Somehow, though, it seems like the worst of its kind, and its negative effect has become clearer to me, the Trinitonian and so many others on campus this semester.
From the beginning, people were saying horrible things on Fizz, but I hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten until this semester. It’s a shame that Trinity students’ first experience with free speech — true, unfiltered free speech — has been so tragic. Our peers, the same ones we live and work next to, post mocking photos of people without their knowledge and frame it as commentary on the mail center. They create “campus celebrities” and share their endless opinions on them.
“Bunny Girl” is one of the most notable. People took photos of her; they spread rumors about an OnlyFans account; one, still up from over a month ago, reposted a meme from “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” that read “Everypony f-cking hates you” with “As long as u aren’t bunny suit girl ur good.” It got to the point where she asked people to leave her alone, saying that she was “glad you are all happy with yourselves.”
This isn’t the only case. Students frequently call out their peers by name. Some get taken down by moderators, but some don’t. And once Fizz posters deem you a “campus celebrity,” all bets are off. Those posts stay up. It’s appalling to me, honestly, that I live and work alongside these Fizz users. I always find it surprising when people feel like they can say whatever they want about others without fear of consequence. But people feel empowered to do whatever they want when they’re anonymous. We saw it with Associate Dean of Students Benjamin Williams back in September. We saw it with Bunny Girl. We see it every time we open the app before moderators democratically decide to take a post down.
I recognize that the app has good qualities. Student organizations post their events on the app, and I’m all for people asking for advice on how to ask their crush out. However, as Managing Editor Diya Contractor put it in a recent editorial, the Trinitonian expects people to say things with their chests. Anonymity can be useful; it offers a safe space for people to express their embarrassing inner thoughts on Fizz or whistleblow with us. But on Fizz, it’s a vehicle for harassment and bullying. On Fizz, it’s mainly cowardice.
Your “campus celebrities” don’t get to be anonymous, so why should you? It should deeply concern you that users’ posts are causing our peers to contemplate suicide. If you’re one of the people posting those comments about your peers, it should hurt to know that this is the result of your actions.
Fizz posters rely on the fact that their name is not attached to anything they say. They don’t have to take accountability for their actions. This is true, to a certain extent, but to scare users straight, just a little bit: Fizz isn’t completely anonymous. If presented with a valid subpoena, court order, search warrant or valid emergency request, Fizz can share your account information, including your phone number and school email. Just this week at Dominican University in Illinois, their administration brought in police to investigate threats posted on the app, and Dominican Fizz users are scrambling to delete their posts.
We at the Trinitonian believe that all people should be held accountable. Not only Fizz users, but also those who Fizz users are calling out for genuine reasons. But there are other, more productive paths for that accountability. Counseling Services, the Dean’s Office, TUPD, just to name a few. We are one too.
The moderation on Fizz is weak, clearly. Posts about specific students don’t get taken down, and according to their guidelines, a majority of moderators have to agree to take a post down before they can do it. Though there are ways for users to be held accountable, students have to put in the work to change it.
If you’ve experienced harassment or bullying on Fizz, talk to us. We promise you that you’re not the only one, and it’s important for students to know how their words are affecting their peers. Outside of us, though, students have to push back on Fizz itself. Call out people who follow others around. Talk with your friends if you see them posting about another student on Fizz. Check in on your classmates if you notice their name on the app. Speak up for your peers. I see it occasionally already, but this is your wake-up call. It’s time for change.
