Column: Snapchat account degrades women

My therapist in high school always told me that when he had patients who acted out, he would tell them it would be easier to wear Christmas lights to stand out.

Everyone wants to be wanted. It’s human nature to crave the acceptance of those around us. Some people need this more than others. This is not in itself a bad thing, but the way we get the attention we want can be destructive.

USU Boobs is a Snapchat profile that posts pictures of — you guessed it — boobs sent to them from female USU students. Initially hearing about this, there are probably two types of reactions. The first: indifference. It’s their body, and they have the choice to send the picture or not, and maybe they’re just confident. The second reaction: disgust. How could they have such low self-esteem to do that and have everyone see them naked? Regardless of your reaction, there are some issues we have to consider with this type of exhibitionism.

First thing to consider: There is no way to ensure that the girl in the picture is the girl sending the picture. Every girl can tell you a story of a time when they knew a girl who royally screwed her over. And don’t forget that there are already dozens of ex-shaming websites where people can upload naked pictures or sexually explicit videos they have of their ex. USU Boobs will eventually become another medium for angry exes and vindictive friends.

Another thing to consider is that unlike certain social media sites that restrict users to college students or those over 18, Snapchat doesn’t have that feature. Girls all over the world, and particularly Logan, can send their pictures to USU Boobs without anyone being able to verify their age.

Something else to think about is that, while it is the girls’ choice to send their picture to USU Boobs, whoever then shares it with however many people follow them causes the original submitter to lose control of that picture. They can’t control who screenshots that picture and sends it to other people or shares it on another website. As soon as that picture is shared with USU Boobs, any kind of empowering control you might think you have is stripped from you.

Finally, we have to consider that by allowing this type of validation to become prevalent and accepted, we are promoting a culture that sees women as walking boobs. USU Boobs lowers the standard for everyone on campus. It makes it ok for guys to stop seeing us as women who are trying to become academically and socially successful. The ladies on this campus are strong, smart, beautiful and worth more than what USU Boobs has to offer.

I have a specific message to both the women sending these pictures and those promoting it:

To the women, you do not need that kind of validation. You might think you do, but in the end, it will not bring you happiness. Look, I get it. We’ve all had moments when we feel less than, and while getting validation for your body is an immediate rush, it’s a Band-Aid on a fractured bone. Ultimately, it’s useless, and only by addressing the fracture can you stop feeling like you need it.

To those promoting USU Boobs: Do you really want to look back at your college career and rationalize to yourself that you helped exploit girls for their body? Do you really not care enough about this school and the people of it to keep this going? I’d ask that you really consider if any good can come from this. If you want to empower women, there are so many better options.

My final words: We are not walking boobs. I would hope that we, as a community, can try to find better ways to build up the women around us, rather than focus on them as blow-up dolls.

— Kasey Van Dyke is a five-year sophomore who can’t make up her mind about a major. Currently she is studying physics. That may change next week. She enjoys Diet Coke and South Park. Contact her at kaseyvandyke2@gmail.com.