Many students may find themselves thoughtlessly scrolling on social media throughout the day. Whether it be on Tiktok or Instagram, the endless black hole that is social media easily traps the minds of younger people. Majority of people have either personal, sports, or business accounts. However, there is one type of account that never fails to strike up talk and controversy whenever it appears on social media: burner accounts.
Burner accounts are anonymous profiles that allow people to hide behind a different name and picture, masking their true identity. The goal of these accounts is to help people make comments or posts on social media that are typically controversial without others knowing who they actually are.
Seems a bit risky right?
Some burner accounts are used as a form of bullying or harassment. These accounts are dangerous and harmful to those who are being affected, and should have no space on social media.
However, the harmless accounts can often have a lighthearted and comedic twist on innocuous things, and may even be seen as a way to express thoughts or feelings that the majority of the public resonates with.
Pros of burner accounts:
- Freedom of expression
Burner accounts allow for people to open up about their true opinions. Because of the anonymous aspect of these profiles, people are able to share their true thoughts without the fear of what others will think of them. This makes more room for the people who have stronger opinions on certain topics, but don’t always feel safe to share. These accounts are also a way of communicating concerns without facing severe backlash from fellow members of the community or close peers.
- Experimenting/ Maintaining privacy
These accounts are more inclusive to those who want to share an opinion about something that most people don’t know such a person is interested in. Burner accounts can fuel the fire of curiosity that some people have and make room for them to play around with different topics and subjects. This permits a learning curve for those who are trying to be involved in a newer topic or controversy. People can also find themselves invited into inclusive social media groups or platforms that match their interests.
- Comedy
There is no denying that the creativity from some burner accounts have a comedic aspect that is unmatched. Because people feel more comfortable to share their opinions, this makes for funny jokes and matters to be more public and talked about on these accounts. Whether it is an enlightening or upsetting post, looking in the comment section to see a simple joke being cracked by one of these accounts can’t help but lighten the mood.
Cons to burner accounts:
- Bullying and Harassment
Although burner accounts are not always taken seriously, the ability to completely secrete one’s identity holds a lot of negative power and consequences. Many of these accounts can be seen commenting on the posts of opposing sports teams, political beliefs, influencers, and more. By simply clicking “post”, any single comment could severely hurt and affect the other person behind the screen. Having a hidden identity on social media gives the user so much control to say whatever comes to mind, sometimes not even knowing that the slightest mean remark can stick with someone forever.
- Consequences
No matter what one’s burner account is used for, there can be serious consequences to just having one, especially if hurtful comments are being produced. There have been many incidents in the past of people trying to track down the creators of some of these accounts and even going to lengths of getting police involved. Severe punishments can lead to conflicts at school as well as issues with college and future plans. The best idea is to stay away from ever using one of these accounts to harass or leave inappropriate comments for the protection of oneself and others.
- Catfishing
In addition to the comedic side of burner accounts, they can also cause mass confusion on whether or not the user behind the account is actually a real person. These accounts are known for their spontaneous catfishing and can lure people into believing that their account is a real person. From things like online dating to even playing a video game, these fake accounts surge the internet and can put others at risk of losing things like their personal information or money. It is important to avoid accounts that appear to be fake for the sake of safety.
Ultimately, burner accounts cause a big controversy all over the world and in the Lake Forest community. Although they may have their perks of free expression and comedic perspectives, they can also cause a lot of damage and danger to those who closely associate themselves with the accounts. It is crucial that everyone stays aware that these accounts do in fact exist and can vary their usage in several different ways.
