“Crushes” help the shy and awkward
2 min readBy ADAM STERGIS
Students send anonymous declarations of love and affection to the page, which are then posted for the rest of the student body to see.
Despite the potential for people to chime in about shallow sexual urges, UMW Crushes can also be therapeutic and encouraging to many.
Facebook “crush” pages are almost a nostalgic trend, pointing back to the days of sending secret admirer letters in fifth grade.
It is a perfect outlet for the bashful and awkward to vent their burning affections with little to no immediate consequence aside from a handful of Facebook likes and insightful comments such as “get iiiiiit!”
Freshman Austin O’Rourke, said UMW Crushes is “very important in the rise of social media.” “[It] lets students know that someone out there in appreciating them.”
Social media interactions are a crucial staple in how people communicate in modern society, and compulsively posting what is on your mind is a big part of it.
Anonymously typing out that you are infatuated with someone can make the idea of potentially asking them out on a date a little less daunting.
At this point, “crushes” pages have become such a staple of modern college social life that it looks like, at least for the time being, they are here to stay.
It is up to the administrators of the page to decide the moral implications of the posts.
Realistically, the page itself can easily be ignored if one chooses.
Senior Cassidy Houston was not even aware that the Crushes page existed.
This goes to show that you can enjoy a fantastic college experience even if you do not particularly agree with the way UMW Crushes operates.
For those that need a little extra boost of confidence from hearing someone finds them attractive or just a way to vent unrequited love, the UMW Crushes page seems to be working wonders.
