Bad drinking habits amplified by social media

Sadie Hobbs

In this bizarre college life we live in, danger outweighs consequence. Consuming alcohol and other drugs in different forms has become a sport across college campuses, and ultimately, these trends are not worth following.

Social media, for better or worse, consumes this generation. When social media encourages harmful behavior, users should begin to question its value. 

Social media accounts like “Old Row” and “Total Frat Move” make a point to publicize outlandish behavior that a majority of the time involves some level of alcohol consumption. It seems that college students, especially those who attend SEC schools, have become obsessed with trying to get featured on these pages.

Qualifications for getting on these pages include but are not limited to: being extremely intoxicated, falling from high places, being able to ‘shot gun’ beers, being scantily clad and participating in various forms of hazing. 

Additionally, X-rated trends not featured on these pages seem to be spreading like a wild fire through campuses across the nation. These new methods of alcohol consumption, such as “vodka-tamponing” and “vodka eyeballing,” aren’t only getting you drunk quicker but are also causing infertility, leading to people getting their stomachs pumped, and in extreme cases, even death. 

At what point does campus administration think it’s time to exchange one 50-minute lecture over cellular division or the origin of the English language for a little alcohol education? 

It’s not that the behaviors aren’t being prevented that’s scary, but rather that they’re being accepted. While not everyone participates, there is a supportive audience of 1.1 million followers from Total Frat Move and 561,000 followers from Old Row who enjoy watching people doing these ridiculous and dangerous activities. 

Total Frat Move describes itself as, “The most dangerously entertaining website in the game,” on Instagram. Instagram may have made a mistake and underestimated its influence by making Total Frat Move a verified account, leading people to believe these actions are acceptable.

A day of fame from a verified site will never compensate for your future. It’s time to shut down these trends that aren’t worth trending.

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