September 28, 2023 | FEATURES | By Taylor Lynch
“Anyone want a donut?”
If you were on campus on Aug. 28 you might have encountered some eager ambassadors outside of South Hall, Worner Campus Center, or Adam F. Press Fitness Center. Brandishing not only QR codes but also lugging wagons full of donuts and donning bucket hats, they lured students in with the promise of a delicious treat, yet they had one request: “Have you heard of Fizz?”
Fizz, the anonymous social media app, has taken Colorado College by storm, competing with YikYak for top dog as a community-based app for college students. Two Stanford University students built Fizz, and this app differentiates itself from YikYak by requiring users to verify their student status by signing up using a school email.
Regardless of registration, Fizz claims, “We are not affiliated with any education institution, and your school will never have access to anything you do on Fizz.” This anonymity gives users a platform to post anything they want free of public scrutiny.
Amelia Grady ’25, the Launch Lead of Fizz at CC, explained the rollout of Fizz on campus.
After being contacted via LinkedIn, Grady led the app’s Aug. 28 CC launch. Grady organized the 12 ambassadors across campus. Although the exact number of users acquired by the launch was uncertain, Grady noted that the current most popular post has over 700 upvotes. This means that nearly a third of the CC student body are active users of Fizz.
When asked about her experience with the app, Grady said Fizz is distinct because “you can use more vulgar word choices as opposed to being banned on YikYak, and there are more opportunities for posting gifs, videos, photos and private messaging other users.”
Grady receives compensation for her work on Fizz. Although she is contractually obligated to withhold the exact number she explained that “It was a large sum of money and definitely made my few days of work with it. It was about as much as a singular paycheck I made this summer working full-time.”
Other Fizz users provided personal experiences with the app. The first question was what causes students to download Fizz, to which all respondents noted they were incentivized by the launch – the bribe of free donuts and bucket hats. They were then asked what purpose the app serves for them. Many students reported they primarily used Fizz for entertainment, while a smaller portion reported using the app as a means of communication and acquiring insight about social events.
“Personally, I wake up and get on Fizz,” said Lila Osborne ’27. While another student claimed Fizz was a way to “see what everyone else is thinking and doing.”
A point of contention amongst respondents is the debate between Fizz and YikYak. Some respondents claim Fizz is more entertaining because the app boasts more visual content such as memes and photos.
When asked which app was better, Grady reiterated the importance of using a CC email for Fizz’s signup.
Grady said, “[It] made me feel like there was more of a community on campus; like there is something special just for us.”
Despite this, some respondents beg to differ. Alessia Turner ’27 said, “I think that YikYak is a better platform because it is more real. There are so many upvotes on Fizz, I just think there is a lot of bots. That’s why I think YikYak is a more close-knit community.”
Consensus favors Turner’s view, supporting YikYak as the better app. According to Wyatt Wellehan ’27, “YikYak is better because more people use it.”
Another respondent, Charlie Leher ’27 claimed, “This is definitely not a Fizz Campus.”
Liam Pentagelo ’27 echoed this response saying, “Those who use Fizz have no rizz.”
As anonymous social media apps keep trending at CC, debates continue to rage over the top dog.
While there are arguments for and against Fizz and YikYak, one anonymous response said plain- and-simple, “Fizz and Yik Yak are the same f**king app.”
For most CC users, personal preferences are often the deciding factor between the two, as the similar platforms continue to create parallels shaping our digital college community.