Tech students and faculty are victims of recent cyberbullying.
Since Nov. 4, the Twitter account @GossipGreek_xox, has created controversy by tweeting slanderous comments about numerous students and some faculty members involved with Greek Life.
@GossipGreek_xox describes itself as “just a concerned third party watching TTU Greeks make fools of themselves. Who am I? I’ll never tell. You know you love me. xoxo.”
However, students say they are not feeling the love at all. Several members of Greek Life, referred to by the account as “minions,” have felt personally attacked and accused of such things as “lost morals” and “walks of shame.”
Kristen Buscher, junior, said both her and many of her friends believe they are the subjects of some of the tweets.
“I know I have a lot of good friends who have read some of those things and felt that they were directed at them,” Buscher said. “I just think it’s mean-spirited and vicious. They must have way too much time on their hands to talk about things that aren’t their business at all.”
@GossipGreek_xox isn’t limiting itself to students alone, though. Many followers believe the account tweeted posts directed at Greek Adviser Katie Winningham.
“I just think it’s a poor use of time for someone to make great efforts in trying to make people feel bad about themselves,” Winningham said. “I do not approve of it.”
While multiple victims of the bullying believe they have figured out who is behind the twitter account, no one is willing to give up the name at this time.
Justin Sweatman-Weaver, secretary of Lambda, Tech’s gay-straight alliance, said bullying from behind the keyboard isn’t any less damaging to either the victim or the offenders.
“It is just as damaging to all parties involved and carries just as many consequences,” Sweatman-Weaver said. “We expect individuals seeking a college education to be responsible and intelligent enough to know better than to bully. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Bullying isn’t confined to the playground. It comes in all sorts of forms – cyber bullying being increasingly relevant in all populations.”
