If anyone had doubts about the toxic culture at SMU, they need to look no further than JuicyCampus.com to confirm the worst. The site, which recently added SMU to its user base and advertises on Facebook, promotes rumors and gossip by allowing anyone to post whatever they want on its discussion board format.
This site is about a million times worse than DirtyDTown.com. Whereas DirtyDTown uses pictures freely available on Facebook and mocks them, JuicyCampus allows anyone (not simply SMU students) to post uncensored gossip about anyone else that absolutely anyone with an Internet connection can read. Posters often use first and last names as they describe who hooked up with whom, who’s hot and who’s not, and more.
Naturally, we wouldn’t be SMU students if we didn’t take it a step further. On the SMU boards at JuicyCampus, the posts range from the petty to the shocking and disgusting. In true “Mean Girls” fashion, many posts rank sororities, using stereotypes and narcissism to make their opinions heard. Even more posts ask who is “the hottest girl on campus,” who is the biggest “slut” or even who has the best (or fake) breasts. Some explicitly describe sexual encounters with various girls on campus. It’s like we’re not even college educated… way to embrace the Neanderthal within, fellas.
In a glorious nod to our recent troubles with drug-related deaths on campus, some posts ask about the availability of drugs (“Anyone have Adderall?”). One particular thread asks who are the biggest cocaine users on campus. None of you had any qualms about pointing fingers, citing over 20 names, first and last. Wow, I hope their parents don’t wander onto the site. We’re just glad the drug task force’s warnings obviously stuck with you guys.
It’s hard to be angry with JuicyCampus when students generate the disgusting trash that’s put on the site. Apparently, all we want to do is ruin reputations and tear down our friends while safely hiding under the cloak of anonymity. Indeed, JuicyCampus seems safe from the threat of libel suits. The site’s privacy page says it logs the numeric Internet protocol addresses of its users, but does not associate those addresses with specific posts. To further keep your identity a secret, JuicyCampus directs its users to free online services that cloak IP addresses.
It’s the people who post on JuicyCampus who are ruining SMU. Our reputations, both as a university and as human beings, are on the line. The proof of our destructive nature is on the Internet for all to see. We don’t want to pass judgment, but spreading lies and slander about people who are supposed to be your friends is pathetic and horrible. By posting on JuicyCampus, you’re no better than middle school students posting in “slam books” about how So-and-So is really fat and how her friend is totally skanky. We’re adults now, and it’s about time we started acting like it.