by Dana Branham and Nicole Farrell, editor-in-chief and senior editor
It may be a touchy subject, but it’s one that is already being discussed in hushed tones all over campus. We can choose to let the vicious whispers continue, or just state an opinion out in the open and do our best to set things straight.
Last night, an anonymous Twitter account known for posting risqué information about students, Consol Confessions (@consolconfess), was shut down due to the posting of three inappropriate photos of individuals whose identities have not been conclusively identified.
The photo collage was of three females, nude or scantily dressed, with the crude challenge “Guess who” attached. No faces were pictured, but just minutes after the photo was posted and promptly reported, Twitter users were speculating on whose bodies were pictured.
The account was suspended shortly after the incident, but not before students had the opportunity to screenshot the tweet and respond on the social media site.
This is not the first Consol-themed Twitter account that has brought attention. Similar accounts, such as Consol Crushes (@consolcrushes14), tweeted vaguely flattering, but sometimes offensive comments concerning students.
These types of social media activity–including photos and unwarranted comments on appearance–are completely inappropriate and disrespectful.
While sending scandalous photos reveals some lack of discretion on the senders’ parts, despite their probably single recipient in mind, violating privacy and invoking humiliation is completely unacceptable. Furthermore, it’s not just the girls’ privacy that was violated, but also their trust.
Maybe it’s the all-too-common exploitation of the female body that makes it seem normal and acceptable to boast possession of these photos. Maybe that’s why the screenshot is saved on hundreds of phones and could easily be the topic of text gossip at this very moment.
It’s an internet phenomenon–posting nude photos as a joke (albeit a pretty unfunny one) often justified with the so-called punchline: “What did you expect?”
Our advice? Don’t send it in the first place. No picture, no problem. But saying “Boys will be boys,” or “Well, at least she looks good,” is unacceptable.
Exposing private pictures for fun or secondary pleasure is disrespectful. Instead, let’s promote a culture where we respect everyone.
And we’re certainly not saying that responses (from males or otherwise) were encouraging the post. If anything, Twitter users were riled, expressing their views that they hope the individual behind @consolconfess got caught or even expressing desire to take the situation into their own hands.
Below: Tweets from current seniors Clint Hollis and Mario Maldonado and recent Consol graduate Nicole Monsivais accurately demonstrat
Let’s allow the situation to simmer down. Let’s delete the pictures off of phones. No more guessing or judging. Multiple parties messed up. We get it.
Let’s try some respect and let it go. We hope this can be the final word.
