Goodbye Juicycampus, hello Burnbook
By: Becca French
Published: Sept. 30, 2010
Ever since Gretchen Wieners revealed the Burn Book in “Mean Girls,” the use of social media sites to verbally “burn” classmates has become a new trend among college students across the nation.
Newest to this trend is Burnbook.com, the lovechild of JuicyCampus and Twitter that “allows you to gossip about the people in your life while staying completely anonymous,” according to the site. And since the 2009 disappearance of JuicyCampus.com, many students have looked for a new source of campus gossip. Or have they?
Limited to 160 characters, 20 more than Twitter, students can browse for their “frenemies” by school, city, workplace or region, and post anything they personally like or dislike about them.
The Canada-based site is slowly expanding to United States college networks, including Marquette University. Students are able to browse for their peers, and if they are not available, they can freely add someone to the network’s “burn” list. There are currently no students listed in Marquette’s Burnbook network.
According to the Burnbook site, “opinions cannot form the basis of a defamation claim no matter how upsetting or mean they are.” Without fear of being “held liable for anything that is posted on the site by users,” students are free to post anything about anyone, according to the site.
Although students may not contribute to these community gossip websites, by reading and sharing it with their friends, they aid in these sites’ growing popularity.
“I would like to think that I wouldn’t even read the gossip,“ said Alia Mian, a freshman in the College of Engineering. “However, we all are attracted to gossip and drama, especially when it is so easily accessible.”
Students and faculty alike recognize the effects on every student’s wellbeing and ability to communicate with peers.
“It makes me nervous we can say whatever we want,” said communication studies professor Sarah Feldner. “It’s an ethical dilemma in which people come down on both sides, but we’re just used to it.”
Social gossip sites such as this have become a means for students to express their personal opinions without consequences.
“Anonymity is a key factor,” Feldner said.
This anonymous “cyberbullying” has become a growing issue among teens and college-age students. According to an iSafe survey on Makeadifferenceforkids.org, “19 percent of students admit to saying something hurtful to others online,” and “75 percent have visited a website bashing another student.”
The launch of Burnbook.com has aroused both intrigue and concern among students and faculty.
“There is nothing likeable about the idea,” Mian said. “Posting gossip which usually involves rumors that hurt someone’s image and reputation is never seen in the positive light.”
The Burnbook site states, “opinions are NEVER defamatory,” but some students disagree.
“I wouldn’t care enough to read about what some random person wrote, because the chances of it being true are slim to none,” said Jenna Speltz, freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Published: Sept. 30, 2010
Ever since Gretchen Wieners revealed the Burn Book in “Mean Girls,” the use of social media sites to verbally “burn” classmates has become a new trend among college students across the nation.
Newest to this trend is Burnbook.com, the lovechild of JuicyCampus and Twitter that “allows you to gossip about the people in your life while staying completely anonymous,” according to the site. And since the 2009 disappearance of JuicyCampus.com, many students have looked for a new source of campus gossip. Or have they?
Limited to 160 characters, 20 more than Twitter, students can browse for their “frenemies” by school, city, workplace or region, and post anything they personally like or dislike about them.
The Canada-based site is slowly expanding to United States college networks, including Marquette University. Students are able to browse for their peers, and if they are not available, they can freely add someone to the network’s “burn” list. There are currently no students listed in Marquette’s Burnbook network.
According to the Burnbook site, “opinions cannot form the basis of a defamation claim no matter how upsetting or mean they are.” Without fear of being “held liable for anything that is posted on the site by users,” students are free to post anything about anyone, according to the site.
Although students may not contribute to these community gossip websites, by reading and sharing it with their friends, they aid in these sites’ growing popularity.
“I would like to think that I wouldn’t even read the gossip,“ said Alia Mian, a freshman in the College of Engineering. “However, we all are attracted to gossip and drama, especially when it is so easily accessible.”
Students and faculty alike recognize the effects on every student’s wellbeing and ability to communicate with peers.
“It makes me nervous we can say whatever we want,” said communication studies professor Sarah Feldner. “It’s an ethical dilemma in which people come down on both sides, but we’re just used to it.”
Social gossip sites such as this have become a means for students to express their personal opinions without consequences.
“Anonymity is a key factor,” Feldner said.
This anonymous “cyberbullying” has become a growing issue among teens and college-age students. According to an iSafe survey on Makeadifferenceforkids.org, “19 percent of students admit to saying something hurtful to others online,” and “75 percent have visited a website bashing another student.”
The launch of Burnbook.com has aroused both intrigue and concern among students and faculty.
“There is nothing likeable about the idea,” Mian said. “Posting gossip which usually involves rumors that hurt someone’s image and reputation is never seen in the positive light.”
The Burnbook site states, “opinions are NEVER defamatory,” but some students disagree.
“I wouldn’t care enough to read about what some random person wrote, because the chances of it being true are slim to none,” said Jenna Speltz, freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences.