SHS Fizz (@fizzshs) is the newest installment to a plethora of confession-type pages available on Instagram. As of Sept. 20, the account has 10 posts and more than 400 followers.
Predecessors in this genre include @toga_confessions and @togacrushes, where account administrators posted school gossip anonymously submitted by users through a Google form.
However, SHS Fizz is different in that users post directly on the app Fizz. Fizz is listed on the app store as a “private social feed just for your school, with only verified students allowed in the community.”
In an almost Reddit-like format, where users view the feed by scrolling vertically, students within a school community are able to post content anonymously by joining a school that is registered on the app. Users are also able to upvote and comment anonymously on the posts.
However, due to the often libelous content on anonymous social pages like Fizz, these apps are typically banned by schools because they too often promote bullying, harassment and racism. The Fizz app, which was created by two Stanford dropouts in 2021, has been banned in Florida and North Carolina colleges. The app, however, has made its way to numerous high schools, like in the case of Saratoga.
Principal Greg Louie says that the school has already received negative reports about @fizzSHS from parents and students. Administrators have reported the page to Instagram using the report feature, but Louie noted that the school has no control over Instagram’s responsiveness. The school has not heard back from Instagram on previous reports of anonymous confession accounts like @toga_confessions.
“In the Constitution itself, there’s the freedom of speech,” Louie said. “Some of these social media platforms either close or don’t close [down] accounts or content. People can dance the line just enough to claim they haven’t done anything wrong, but it’s ominous.”
Since many other schools are shortened to the acronym “SHS,” there exists at least five Instagram accounts with the same name. It can be hard for administrators to recognize which posts involve Saratoga High students. Louie has gotten phone calls from parents complaining about an account they believe to be run by Saratoga students, only to find out that the complaint actually involves another school with a similar name thousands of miles away.
“We don’t have the bandwidth to scroll through these accounts,” Louie said. “We oftentimes depend on students to be able to point out and stand up when they see something.”
He added that anonymous confessions and content can go sideways pretty quickly. Previous accounts like @togaconfessions_ had explicit content and bullying on the page. Louie hopes that students can make the right choices and know what they are subscribing to.
“If you see something inappropriate, say something. We’re trying to develop an upstander culture. Recognize the consequences of things,” Louie said.
The Falcon has reached out to SHS Fizz for comment and did not receive a response.
