A modern-day newspaper, a less sleek rendition of X and a crasser edition of Instagram, Fizz provides students with the opportunity to reflect, participate in and advertise events on campus with a shield of anonymity. Fizz offers the opportunity for college students to express their honest, unfiltered views about Tulane University and student life without worrying about consequences from the school or their peers. This anonymity, in theory, creates a digital space with a positive, unfiltered space for expression until, inevitably, it does the opposite.  

In our student body, there are few mediums as frequently used and simultaneously problematic as Fizz, and at no time does this problem reveal itself more explicitly than during Tulane Panhellenic Council recruitment, better known as rush. Hundreds of new recruits line outside the doors of sorority houses with their hearts in their throats and the Fizz home screen in their hands. It is no secret that the use of Fizz is prolific in the days leading up to and during rush.   

Unfortunately, the heightened emotions and superficiality accompanying rush is often exacerbated by platforms like Fizz, where anonymous users often post rumors, criticism and misinformation to fuel negativity related to recruitment. The increase of toxicity, bullying, gossip and misinformation spread through Fizz around the time of rush has detrimental effects which manifests both in recruits and other members of the Fizz community.  

The problem starts with Fizz’s anonymity, which is its double-edged sword. Hundreds of impressionable girls participate in sorority rush, a days-long period in which they are judged and dissected on their personality, looks and sense of style. During this stressful and exhausting process, many girls turn to Fizz to vent about what can be an extremely discouraging process.  

The anonymity that Fizz provides feels like a warm blanket for many, who can discuss the negative experiences they had at certain sororities without worrying about upsetting the institutions they are attempting to join.  

What may begin as innocent reflections and comments about the process quickly spirals into an environment that promotes superficial comments about each sorority and reinforces the negative stereotype associated with them. The anonymity allows many Fizz users, especially those not associated with Greek life, to spew stereotypes, hate and clichés about sororities, directly contradicting the accepting spirit sororities so adamantly attempt to maintain during this process.  

Greek organizations are not immune to the effects of Fizz. Entire sororities can find themselves the subject of slanderous posts, with users critiquing their reputations, traditions or members. These posts can create division within the rush community, as recruits are often swayed by anonymous opinions rather than forming opinions based on their experience. 

The toxicity only feeds on itself as the days go on, and more girls get dropped from their dream house, only to log onto Fizz and contribute to the present chain of hate towards that house and the recruitment process. In some cases, posts on Fizz may go beyond simple gossip, turning into outright cyberbullying. The faceless nature of the platform allows individuals to make derogatory comments without any concern for consequences.  

The anonymity of Fizz creates an easy outlet for negative behavior, but it also makes it nearly impossible to address or correct false information. There are moderators on Fizz, but during times like sorority rush, their elimination of false information is not beneficial. Unlike platforms where users are identifiable, there is little recourse for those affected by harmful posts on Fizz. Sorority recruitment is the perfect storm for students with already negative prejudices to spew misinformation and hate to impressionable and dejected young women.  

While the solution may not lie in taking away a platform that, at times, can be a helpful way for students to share their insights on university life in a safe space, it is important to monitor and attempt to prevent the significant and negative impact that Fizz has during sorority recruitment and try to mitigate the negative atmosphere which Fizz creates. The Tulane Panhellenic Council monitoring misinformation on the app during recruitment or requesting new recruits to delete the app during the rush process could reduce the negative stigma that surrounds rush.