Ask.fm leads to anonymous cyber-bullying

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Just know that bad things might be said, and that those [bullies] are pathetic because they’re using an anonymous way to say [insults] to you. – Rachel Saunders, senior

story by Katherine Green, photo illustration by Cecilia Butler

Scrolling through her Twitter timeline, senior Rachel Saunders noticed links in tweets from her friends on her timeline, which led to the website Ask.fm. After seeing her friends had made accounts for the new social media website, Saunders decided to create her own account.

Launched in June 2010, Ask.fm was introduced as a site for anyone to create accounts and have others comment or ask questions anonymously. This year, the website has taken to the girls at STA as a new trend, according to sophomore Maggie Hodes. However, since the site does not monitor the anonymous comments, non-Ask.fm users with the link to a user’s page can leave any comment they want.

“Ask and answer. Find out what people want to know about you!” is Ask.fm’s slogan.

However, after Saunders had a friend end up in tears due to the website’s uncensored comments, she said the website is only fun when the questions are “good questions,” such as funny comments, random questions, getting-to-know-you questions and the occasional compliment.

“I guess [Ask.fm users should] just kind of be careful,” Saunders said. “Just know that bad things might be said, and that those [bullies] are pathetic because they’re using an anonymous way to say [insults] to you.”

After giving out a poll to 28 STA students consisting of 8 freshmen, 7 sophomores, 6 juniors and 7 seniors, only six students, who were freshmen, said they liked Ask.fm, while the other 22 students said they did not. Three of the students who like Ask.fm said they “can figure things out about people” and “stalk them” on Ask.fm.

Even within this past year, Erin Gallagher, a 13-year-old girl from Ireland, committed suicide, mentioning that she was cyber-bullied on Ask.fm in her suicide note according to a Huffington Post article. Comments on Gallagher’s Ask.fm insulting her weight and looks contributed to the cyber-bullying of Gallagher, according to the article. The Huffington Post stated Gallagher supposedly warned her cyber-bullies she was going to commit suicide within 24 hours prior.

According to ABC News, Ask.fm has reportedly been involved with five other suicides due to the insulting comments and cyber-bullying taking place. Since the website is now associated with these deaths of young teens, Ask.fm’s founders said they are beginning to build a stronger monitoring system for the site.

“We are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment,” the Ask.fm company said in an open letter in an article in the Mirror. “We have implemented various measures over the past month to continue to improve our user safety.”

With many of the comments left on this website being provocative and mean, STA students say that Ask.fm causes drama.

“I think [Ask.fm is] something bullies would use,” sophomore Meg Sweeny, who does not have an account, said.

Unlike other social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, Ask.fm’s anonymous aspect allows bullies to insult others without having their identities revealed.

“I think if criticism or things that people say really hurt you hard enough, I don’t think you should consider getting an Ask.fm,” junior Lily O’Neill, who is without an account, said. “I think the people that are [bullying through Ask.fm] are just insecure and have nothing better to do than [insult] to other people.”

Although the website is the source of cyber-bullying and hurt feelings, students at STA such as sophomore McKenzie Burns continue to get Ask.fm accounts. However, after only a few days, Burns deleted her account.

“I don’t know, I just really didn’t get on [Ask.fm],” Burns said about deleting her account. “I just had too many questions and I thought it was really dumb.”

When it comes to Ask.fm, “ask and answer” at your own risk.

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STA’s stories on Ask.fm

STA students discuss their various experiences with Ask.fm

“The questions would be ‘Will you do X explicit thing for me?’ and ‘Are you going to the Olympics?’ The weirdest thing someone asked me was if I was attracted to my cousin, who is in fact a girl.”

– Andie Round, sophomore

“[On ask.fm], there were a lot of inappropriate questions and mean things about my friends. I didn’t read them all because there were too many.”

-McKenzie Burns, sophomore

“The weirdest question I’ve ever gotten asked [is] if I put peanut butter on my stomach before I went to bed and then had it for breakfast in the morning.”

– Allie McInerney, sophomore