Every day, as I scroll through Facebook, my feed is populated by the infamous St. Crushdrew’s posts. With multiple new posts per day, ranging in content from accounts of innocent interactions to unsolicited degradation, it’s impossible to ignore the blatant hypersexualization of my peers which all occurs under the premise of anonymity. It makes me question what compels people to post these “crushes” and whether they think about what their anonymous confessions will solicit. What has society come to where we’re hiding behind anonymous Facebook posts rather than speaking to someone we find attractive?
Firstly, the anonymity of the posts ensures the continuity of the page. The people who are submitting so-called “crushes” will never face any repercussions or adverse reactions from their comments, no matter how offensive somebody may find them. By having the page be anonymous, it has become an uncensored place for people to objectify others. Many of the confessions on the page would never be uttered in public to a prospective romantic interest as the content is so frequently offensive. Whilst reading the page the other day, I was shocked at the amount of posts which discussed and promoted cheating, violence, and other upsetting topics.
By allowing these uncensored comments to be published and spread so widely, it could be implied that the page owners are encouraging, or at the very least failing to address, these fundamental issues.
Additionally, in the age where the internet lasts forever, people may not consent to having comments (no matter if they are derogatory or endearing) written about themselves on the page, especially when the descriptive posts make it clear who the “crush” is. By blatantly calling people out and specifying who they are through comments about their sports team, society, height, hair colour, etc., it becomes very quickly evident who the subject matter is. When making these comments so descriptive and blatantly obvious, it continues to make me question what promotes this page and what compels people to post. Frequently, the posts contain a description of a conversation or interaction that a confessor had with their “crush”, so rather than shying away and posting anonymously about the person, wouldn’t it simply be easier to compliment them in real life? Is this really what our social skills have reduced to in the age of social media?
Although I’m mainly focusing on the negative aspects of St. Crushdrew’s, there are some positive impacts that the page has had. For instance, when some of my peers have been mentioned on the page, their attitude and demeanour improves for a few days (a lovely respite from their frequently irritable dispositions, particularly during the current deadline season). The inflated sense of self that St. Crushdrew’s provides for people provides some hilarity in the St. Andrew’s bubble. Personally, there is no better feeling than waking up, checking my phone, and seeing a post about myself where I have been objectified simply for writing an essay in the library.
St. Crushdrew’s is ultimately an upsetting and offensive page which promotes objectification and is amplified through anonymity. It is unclear as to why this page has garnered such popularity, but through some deep contemplation I’ve realised it is so popular because we all secretly hope to be mentioned on it.