GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY - Fizz, an anonymous social networking app used by students to stay connected, is raising concerns among higher-ed administrators due to potential cyberbullying and misinformation. While Fizz provides anonymity, it can also encourage abusive behavior. Some universities have promoted Fizz to enhance student engagement, but there are mixed reactions and criticisms about its impact on campus life.
by Brandon Paykamian
See full article at Government Technology
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FAST COMPANY - Fizz, previously called Buzz, is gaining traction on college campuses as an anonymous social media platform aimed at keeping students connected. Created by Stanford students, Fizz allows users to share campus-related content, events, and thoughts anonymously. Despite concerns about anonymity and safety, Fizz has expanded to numerous campuses and gained significant funding. While reminiscent of YikYak, Fizz aims to provide an authentic space for self-expression and connection, reflecting the need for real connection in a technological age.
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TECH CRUNCH - Fizz closed a $4.5M seed round in Jun, and already, the social media app for college students raised its $12M Series A. Fizz is only available to college students, and users can only access the Fizz community for their own college. On the app, students can publish text posts, polls and photos without a username or identifying information attached. The app had launched on 13 campuses and in two months, that number has doubled to 25 campuses.
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TECH CRUNCH - Rakesh Mathur, a founder of 10 startups and a longtime investor, invested $750K into Fizz. It is co-founded by Stanford dropouts Teddy Solomon and Ashton Cofer, who then joined the company as CEO. The founder said that 95% of Stanford's ~7.6K undergrads have downloaded the app; at Rice, that figure is 70%. Some of this adoption might be a bit inflated. Fizz promotes the app on campus to students by offering a free donut in exchange for downloads, a tactic that's pretty common for startups targeting college students.
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