- Fizz app sparks controversy at Vermont high school due to cyberbullying.
- The app’s impact was swift and devastating, causing emotional distress among students.
- Fizz founders claim the incident was an anomaly, but the school disagrees.
Fizz, a private messaging app designed to help Gen Z connect, recently launched at Champlain Valley Union High School in Vermont.
However, within weeks of its introduction to the school’s 1,300 students, the app descended into a hotbed of cyberbullying and harassment, leading to an outcry from parents and faculty.
Tears, fears, and shattered trust
Students quickly turned to Fizz to mock their peers’ appearances, disabilities, and speculate about their sexual orientation. Some posts even targeted faculty members, including Principal Adam Bunting.
The app’s impact was swift and devastating, with students arriving at guidance counselors’ offices in tears and struggling to finish the school year.
Fizz isn’t the first anonymous messaging app to cause problems in schools. Yik Yak, launched in 2013, faced similar issues with cyberbullying and harassment.
A recent study by the McKinsey Health Institute found that Gen Z respondents felt social media had a more negative impact on their mental health compared to other generations.
Fizz responds, school pushes back
Fizz’s founders, Ashton Cofer and Teddy Solomon, maintain that the app is meant to be an “uplifting digital space for GenZ” and has strict guidelines against bullying and harassment.
They claim the Champlain Valley Union High School incident was an anomaly.
However, Principal Bunting disagrees, stating that Fizz encourages the wrong kind of sharing and that his students have little tolerance for apps that seemingly encourage gossip.
