I arrived at Emory University over a month ago as a bright-eyed freshman. Having grown up with various anonymous messaging board apps like Reddit, YikYak and Jodel, I anticipated there would be an incognito messaging app for students to communicate with each other online. What I did not expect to find, however, was the noxious environment present on Fizz, an anonymous messaging board app. On Fizz, I found hate, loathing, racism, argumentation and bullying. My experience discovering an alternative side to the Emory student body dispels the notion that as intelligence rises, so does one’s moral compass. But, even with the malicious posts, I believe wholeheartedly that Fizz is crucial for not just the students, but the University as a whole. Fizz fosters communication, streamlines student grievances and creates a place where students can be themselves without fear of condemnation.
Fizz posts certainly play with very dangerous ideas and topics that could potentially cause real life harm, but Fizz, for this very reason, sparks debate — it gets people talking about important issues of campus life, romantic interests and politics. Fizz gives students the ubiquitous ability to converse with their peers about topics that affect campus, school and personal experiences.
In response to Emory’s new tuition-free plan for families earning less than $200,000 a year, one Fizz post reads, “This is genuinely not fair the gap between free tuition and over 80k is insane. Who’s paying for this.” This post received many responses, one of which counters, “Being upset about people who are in dire need of money is evil.” Another respondent wrote, “I am not upset about it, I’m just saying it’s not fair,” finally prompting the original author to concede, “Okay got u.” Contrary to most online forums, on which compromise and mutual understanding are incredibly rare, here is a perfect example of how common they are on Fizz, a testament to the power of anonymous conversations among Emory students.
Herein lies the beauty of Fizz: a post brought up a hot-button topic about Emory, both sides made arguments, an ensuing debate occurred and finally, the two sides came to an agree-to-disagree conclusion. Both parties were made aware of the counterargument, and despite the simplicity of the conversation, they thought critically about their position. A discussion like this between two strangers would never happen in person because feelings and reputations would be on the line. Slip up once by making an offensive joke or sharing a bad take in a classroom or dining hall, and everyone will know what you did. Slip up once on Fizz, and no one knows. Fizz creates a space that renders discussions like this possible, benefiting everyone involved because it strips conversations of societal expectations and boils them down to the true issues at hand. Even if one side feels upset or hurt by the other, productive debate will still emerge, forcing Fizz posters to consider their adversaries and formulate more well-rounded arguments.
Outside of politics, Fizz remains a great place to openly share personal thoughts. In a social group setting, people worry about expressing their feelings for fear of making a social faux pas. No such fear exists in the realm of Fizz, though, as anonymity protects outlandish statements. One such post reads, “Short guys with insane face cards are my type now.” A stranger would never say a sentence like this to another in daily conversation, yet here it lies on Fizz. The post was met with roaring concurrence, accruing 2,000 upvotes, seven comments and two reposts, landing at the 11th-most popular post of the week. One comment responds with “Stand up queen. Literally” while another writes, “FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT I WAS SO SHY.” This small interaction is a perfect example of the unknown camaraderie that Emory students can discover when they no longer feel the strain and burden of societal norms. But, when you take away this platform — this medium of silent agreement — you take away an outlet where our feelings, no matter how silly, get validated, causing us to become isolated.
Fizz’s anonymity, however, also opens the door for bad actors. Posters will take the sweet nectar, the constituency and sense of community, of this secret group we all love, and sour it with bullying, harassment and intimidation. These harms are the unfortunate price we must pay for free and discreet speech.
The ancient Chinese believed in the philosophical concept of yin and yang, two opposing forces that complement and complete each other. Though completely opposite, one contains a piece of the other, fundamentally embedded within. You cannot have the yin without the yang. Our yin is the free and joyful Fizzes, simply meant to evoke conversation, while our yang is the hateful Fizzes, intended to stir the pot and cause chaos. If we starve these malicious posts of reactions and comments, leaving them devoid of attention, they will be rendered obsolete. Emory students must ignore this ragebait that will inevitably exist on Fizz. If we cannot do that and choose to engage instead, the future of Fizz lies in the hands of the aggressors, and that is not a world I want to live in. Fizz will decline into a wasteland of pure hatred, and any posts that seek validation or advice will be met with a firing squad of harassment.
Fizz is like fire — if used correctly, it can create wonder. If used incorrectly, it can burn down a house. That is why we must use it delicately. Students can and should use Fizz for good, but it can also promote hate and toxicity. While Fizz remains paramount to free speech in the Emory community and a poignant reminder of our differences, we must tread lightly when using the app.
Contact Micah Cohen at micah.cohen@emory.edu
