In college, gossip travels in the blink of an eye. A rumor whispered in the dining hall in the morning can echo through group chats by afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since its launch in 2023, the app Tea has amplified that whisper into a megaphone. What was once private talk amongst friends has spilled into a public forum \u2014 one that judges, labels and exposes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marketed as a dating advice and safety app<\/a>, Tea claims to help users identify red flags in potential partners. But on college campuses, it has become something else entirely: a forum for rumors, shaming and cyberbullying.<\/p>\n The app\u2019s original concept was simple. Users could \u201creview\u201d people they dated, flag their behavior as red or green and share experiences meant to warn others. In theory, it was intended to promote honesty and safety in dating, guiding students through the uncertainty of college relationships.<\/p>\n Instead of encouraging safe dating, Tea has become a tool for destroying reputations. Students\u2019 names and photos can be posted without consent. Comments range from petty jabs about someone\u2019s personality to serious, unverified accusations.\u00a0<\/p>\n The anonymity Tea offers, and actually prides itself on, fuels the cruelty. Users can say anything from behind a screen, while the person being judged has no defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n The app\u2019s artificial intelligence verifies<\/a> users are women by analyzing their selfies. It then allows participants to upload photos of men, often sourced from dating or social media profiles, to perform reverse image searches. These searches claim to flag safety issues or identify potential catfishing.\u00a0<\/p>\n The app also offers \u201cTea Party\u201d group chats where women share information and experiences about men, along with a built-in rating system that lets users give men \u201cgreen flags\u201d for positive interactions or \u201cred flags\u201d for concerning behavior.<\/p>\n Tea\u2019s color-coded system encourages snap judgment. Green is good, and red is bad. No context, no nuance, no middle ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n And yes, the users spreading information are anonymous, while the person being attacked is put on display to be judged by others. In short, it\u2019s much like leaving a review on Yelp or Google, which is dehumanizing to say the least.\u00a0<\/p>\n The app\u2019s algorithm promotes the most provocative posts. That isn\u2019t safety \u2014 it\u2019s just speculation.<\/p>\n And when reputations are influenced by comments and color codes, irreparable damage can spread quickly.\u00a0Some might argue Tea simply reflects college culture, where gossip already spreads rapidly. But putting gossip online changes everything. It turns rumors into records, and casual chatter becomes lasting harm.<\/p>\n