Over the past few weeks, USI Secret Admirers gained quite a bit of attention.
USI Secret Admirers, a Facebook page that can be ‘liked,’ allows people to send messages to the page’s administration about someone on campus, and the sender can choose to remain anonymous or make themselves known.
But, most people do choose to be anonymous.
The message is posted onto the page, making it visible to other people within seconds.
It is a cute little system for people who may be too shy to say something to a particular person face to face.
Some of the comments do not even have to be about a crush. For example, post #5499 says, “To the car full of guys who serenaded me on Wednesday to ‘Wrecking Ball’ –Thank you for being awesome. Keep up the good work!”
Some posts are about people just wanting to meet others, like post #5496 which says, “I am sometimes very shy, but I do try to talk to people. Sometimes I just feel intimidated. Well anyways I would like to just meet people and make new friends, and if something more comes out of it than so be it.”
Other posts have me questioning the webpage’s future.
Post #5476: “Girl, every time I see you, I am undressing you and eye banging you in every hole. Keep that in mind next time you see me.”
Post #5328: “Hey I just want to be straight forward ladies…. I just got out of a very serious long monogamous relationship. I mean it was good and all but the sex was so bland and routine like. I’m really not looking for anything serious but looking to get into some kinky stuff like bondage, blindfolds, and like 50 shades of gray type shit. So is anyone game?”
There are several more in this nature.
The page is turning into Tinder or a Craig’s List-esque hook up site.
It is great to post little crushes and compliments, but when the page gets turned into something more than that, it becomes unnecessary – and to some extant creepy.
It gives a bad name to USI.
Some of the posts are disgusting, make me feel completely weird and just awkward.
The administrators of the website need to have restrictions as far as what is okay for someone to post on the page.
Yes, freedom of speech is inevitably the comeback I will hear, but there is a time and place for everything.
Start a chat room. Have these conversations in private.
There is a place and time for everything, but definitely not on a page that has the name USI plastered to it.
Take down the USI title that is attached. That way, it really is most discrete and anonymous.