The University of Puget Sound Confessions Facebook page has generated controversy recently and various groups on campus are debating what to make of the page and what type of response is necessary to some of the more problematic posts.
The Facebook page was created on Jan. 29, 2013, and at the time of the publication of this article has received about 750 “likes” and posted over 400 confessions. Students have described the page as amusing, funny, horrifying, intriguing, misrepresentative and insignificant.
The varying perceptions of the University of Puget Sound Confessions Facebook page perhaps result from the variety of posts on the page, which vary from lighthearted confessions of embarrassing stories, trivial observations and hook-ups, to heavier concerns regarding sentiments of intolerance, hatred, isolation, mental and emotional distress and inclinations toward, or even inflictions of, self-harm.
Four students concerned about the Facebook page, its effects on the campus community, and the issues it brings up came forward to the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound Senate on Thursday, Feb. 14 to discuss possible actions to take in response to the Confessions page.
These four students—Ashley Hall, Kathryn Ginsberg, Peter Bergene and Airiel Quintana—defined their position on the Confessions page in a letter intended for the University administration.
“Although we recognize the utility of public and anonymous forums to promote meaningful discussions, the lack of professionalism or resources of support for those in distress displayed on the page undermines its ability to foster a healthy community. For students expressing marginality, isolation, and ideations of self-harm and suicide, the responses on the page further perpetuate silencing and interpersonal rejection.”
Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana hoped to have this letter approved by ASUPS and sent out to the University administration. An informal Senate meeting was held Tuesday, Feb. 19 to discuss the letter as well as other possible responses to the Facebook page.
The informal Senate meeting illuminated the many considerations relevant to the Facebook page that add complexity to taking action. Ultimately, the Senate did not approve the letter, and resolved to take a different course of action.
While Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana see the page as a source of negativity that hinders sustaining a healthy campus community, ASUPS Senate member Jess Yarbrough sees the page as a source of constructive criticism.
“The Confessions page is a place that students can represent themselves with anonymity; it gives its posters a place to say things that they may not have the courage to otherwise,” Yarbrough said. “It has opened the doors to discussion because it brings the real issues of campus to life,” Yarbrough said.
Although anonymity may invite honesty to the Confessions page, the fact that posts are anonymous simultaneously diminishes the reliability of information on the page.
“The anonymous nature of the page makes it hard to determine how many statements are genuine,” Dean of Students Mike Segawa explained. “But there are still issues in the page that we need to be sure we’re attentive to.”
While collectively the posts on the Confessions page may seem a skewed or inaccurate depiction of the campus community, this does not erase the fact that some of the confessions represent a reality for some individuals in our community.
Hall, who is a certified online counseling and suicide intervention specialist, emphasized the severity of some of the confessions on the page.
“I’m overwhelmed by the number of red flags I see on the page. As a responder, I know with absolute certainty that some of these individuals require immediate attention and if I were working with them, it would be my legal and moral responsibility to exhaust every avenue for support,” Hall said.
The lack of support expressed through the page is one of the primary concerns of Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana.
“Responses to those individuals feeling isolated and expressing self-harm or suicidal thoughts have been astoundingly disrespectful and unrepresentative of what a lot of people in the community work toward and cherish,” Ginsberg said.
In these responses, Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana see a need for a cultural shift in the campus community.
“This would be a cultural shift for the accountability that the page was lacking,” Ginsberg explained, “as well as a shift toward supporting one another, so that everyone feels comfortable and can reach out and not feel retribution.”
To institute this cultural shift, Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana are pioneering a kindness campaign called “Pick me UPS: a campaign promoting random axe of kindness.”
“This campaign is meant to promote interpersonal interaction outside the realm of Internet interaction,” Bergene said.
While the ASUPS Senate considers strengthening the campus community a good idea, ASUPS was hesitant with the more immediate requests of Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana. The four students hoped that ASUPS would join them in urging the administration to acknowledge the Facebook page as a site of cyber-bullying, clarify University policies on cyber-bullying, and try to remove the University logo from the page in an effort to dissociate from the page.
At the ASUPS Senate meeting on Thursday, Feb. 21 the student government decided to send out a statement to the student body instead.
Although Hall, Ginsberg, Bergene and Quintana’s original plan of approaching the administration did not come to fruition, Bergene explained that she does not think their message has been lost because ASUPS took their own course of action.
Hall stresses the importance of action, both in responding to the Facebook page and in directing the development of our campus community.
“We as a community should be acknowledging and taking steps to fix the issues brought up on the page rather than ignoring or diminishing them. If the student body were able to rally around the idea of actively making this campus a home for everyone through our words and actions, we would create a community to be proud of,” Hall said.
While the Facebook page may be lacking in active support of individuals reaching out, members of the campus community stepped forth to actively confront the issues presented by the page.