Anyone who’s ever been on social media knows that there is always a dark side to these platforms. Behind the safety of a screen, people feel entitled to voice their opinions openly and spread hate, even with their names and oftentimes, faces, attached to their messages. Fizz, which has just made its debut on St. Joe’s campus, removes even that small notion of accountability by being an anonymous app. 

A platform that gives a voice to college students to ask questions, share their thoughts and connect with other St. Joe’s students without fear of judgment, sounds like a good idea in theory. Having a place to share similar experiences or get advice without having to attach your name could be a great resource. But as we know, not everything that starts as a good idea ends up being a good idea in reality. Fizz is just as much a breeding ground for cyber-bullying as it is a forum for students to come together. 

Another concern with the app is how students were targeted to get involved, both as ambassadors and users. St. Joe’s students were offered financial rewards for acting as ambassadors, which involved enticing other students to join the app by giving away “free” food and hats, but only if you downloaded the app. This method of recruitment takes advantage of students’ desire to make some quick cash without providing all the information, such as Fizz not getting university approval to solicit on campus. 

Fizz may seem like the next new thing for the St. Joe’s community, and certainly has its fair share of harmless jokes that students can relate to, but the concerns for the app are there as well. With no way to hold each other accountable on an anonymous app, we must all hold ourselves accountable to use the app as intended and not allow it to turn into another source of online hate.