TigerConfessions is a private Facebook group composed of current and former Princeton students where members can post anonymized confessions for other users to view and comment on. Since its creation, it’s served as a forum for both vulnerable and outlandish student voices.
We decided to take a look at some of TigerConfessions and reflect on both posts and the platform as a whole.
TigerConfessions isn’t worth your time
I’m currently not a member of TigerConfessions. Membership goes in cycles for me: I join because it’s sometimes funny; waste way too much time scrolling through disturbing confessions about sex; and then see a confession someone’s written about their friend who did XYZ wrong, and immediately assume I am said friend.
I analyze the post’s writing style to gauge the likelihood of that being the case and then just end up feeling horrible about something I, in all likelihood, didn’t do. The worst is when a post says “I’m so glad I dropped that friend,” and I think I’m the one who’s been dropped.
“But I didn’t even know I was dropped,” I think. “I thought you were just too busy to text back — because if you were going to drop me couldn’t you at least have told me, even just once, why?”
In other words, for me, the ratio of entertainment to wasted time to unnecessary emotional pain never favors entertainment, and for that reason, I don’t use TigerConfessions. Also, people get really mean on the platform — much crueler than they are in person, even when not anonymous! We see you in the comments section!
Contributor Grace Rosenberg is a senior studying German. She can be reached at gr12@princeton.edu.
TigerConfessions is a mixed bag
Courtesy of TigerConfessions
I must admit that I have not used TigerConfessions in months. But scrolling through it now, I am reminded of the social value it provides, even though there are many bad takes in the Facebook group. TigerConfessions provides a forum for students to vent to an audience that very often expresses support, which can be done by liking posts or commenting on them. Furthermore, genuinely helpful information can be shared on this site, such as a question about whether the student health plan covers intrauterine devices (IUDs) and answers from students in the comments.
The hot takes are often bad. There are many that are quick to judge and quick to condemn, but even so, there are often comments that refute these arguments. Additionally, TigerConfessions is often a space for levity, often in response to hot takes.
At the end of the day, TigerConfessions is a window into the Princeton student community, and while some of the comments reflect poorly upon us, there are many kind, insightful, and funny people on this site and on this campus.
Nate Howard is a sophomore contributing columnist from Princeton, N.J. He is a prospective sociology major and co-coordinator of Divest Princeton. He can be reached at natehoward@princeton.edu.
Rescue TigerConfessions from Facebook.
Not only is TigerConfessions home to incoherent political bait and too many posts that begin with “cw: nsfw” (content warning: not safe for work), but worst of all, it is on Facebook. It is time for TigerConfessions to move to a more relevant social media platform like Instagram or Twitter. I stopped keeping up with my old pal Tyga San after my Facebook feed became infested with my extended family’s [Make American Great Again] MAGA posts and local yard-sale page drama. If TigerConfessions changed platforms, its engagement would exponentially increase, and it could better realize its potential as an accessible archive of some of Princeton students’ worst thoughts.
To bring awareness to this issue, I did some research —I reset my Facebook password — and would like to share some of my favorite TigerConfessions. Hopefully the joy — or discomfort —the following confessions give you moves you to call on Tyga San to delete Facebook, shift platforms, and save TigerConfessions.
#63030: Anyone living in Dod know where the trash chute is?
Lazy, but practical.
#61902: "Sic Mundus creatus est"
Latin.
Christofer Robles is a sophomore from Trenton, N.J. He serves as an Assistant Opinion Editor and DEIB Committee Chair. Christofer can be reached at cdrobles@princeton.edu or on Instagram @christofer_robles.
Take it with a grain of salt
I have to admit, I’m not familiar with TigerConfessions, since for me — and likely many other university students— Facebook isn’t my primary source for social media consumption. However, I will admit to participating in Fizz, SideChat, Reddit, and realtalk-princeton, all forums which fill similar niches in the student body. Whether as a poster or lurker, participation in these anonymous university-centered groups is always a wild ride: I’ve seen everything from genuine advice to memes, venting, and genuine discussions.
On one hand, I see the value in forums like these: They offer a chance for camaraderie, humor, news-sharing, and community-building through shared experience, even anonymously. On the other hand, these platforms can present a number of risks and challenges for a non-critical consumer. Advice is often flawed, and memes or vents can create an echo chamber of negativity; other, more serious, challenges include cyberbullying, political baiting, or the dissemination of false or misleading information. As a poster, it’s important to keep in mind that the anonymity of these platforms is not an excuse to contribute negatively to what is, at the end of the day, a community-building forum. As a reader, one must remember that posts aren’t a holistic or fully genuine reflection of our university community.
Overall, the Princeton experience online is not the same as the University that you will find in person — so I advise everyone to enjoy these forums, but take them with a grain of salt.
Contributor Tara Shukla is a sophomore from Highland Park, N.J., studying computer science and economics. Tara can be reached at ts6796@princeton.edu.
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