For Twitter users at Elon, popular tweets involve making fun of students wearing stylish rain boots as status symbols, the health center's wait time and Elon residents letting their dogs swim in the campus fountains.
But what may appear to be nonsense has actually become quite a hit. The tweets are the result of the rise of anonymous parody Twitter accounts, from @OnlyAtElon to @xoGossipSquirl to @elongrlproblem, that poke fun at elements of Elon's campus culture.
Though the tweets' satirical nature have led to a large following, some are wondering if these accounts represent the campus positively.
"Technology is a medium and will be used by a variety of people for their own interests," said Michelle Ferrier, associate professor of communications. "The technology is neutral, the people themselves show their biases and opinions in all kinds of flavors."
The opinions of each account generally have the same purpose: to make Twitter users laugh by making fun of the problems or quirks one often experiences as a student or faculty member at Elon. An example includes a tweet from @elongrlproblem on Nov. 15: "Harry Potter, formal pictures, Pinterest. Productivity at an all-time low. #elongrlproblem."
Janna Anderson, director of Imagining the Internet and an associate professor of communications, said people generally appreciate cleverness expressed in witty observations or well-written satire.
"Anonymous commentary offered up in a positive spirit meant to inform, enlighten and entertain is vital to a free society," Anderson said. "Mean-spirited people with negative agendas can use the same avenue for communication."
And entertainment rather than degradation does seem to be the main goal of the Twitter accounts. The creator of @OnlyAtElon, who wished to be unnamed to preserve the anonymity of the account, said the jokes aren't to be taken seriously or offensively.
"The tweets are just to get a good laugh and brighten someone's day," the source said. "Also, a lot of my tweets are making fun of myself, such as the tweet making fun of people wearing Polar Bear Plunge T-shirts because I was wearing one that day."
In regards to the anonymous nature of each of the accounts, Ferrier said she finds it somewhat troubling.
"You would like to think that people would be responsible for what they say," she said. "And the anonymous nature might invite others to be anonymous, thus creating a haven for illicit-type activity."
But the creator of @OnlyAtElon thinks tweeting without revealing oneself is fine as long as the tweets don't bully, harass or put others in a false light.
"If they're just making fun of stuff and it's not too serious, I don't see a problem with it," the source said. "I think there's a line, and you have to be careful not to cross it."