- Reporter: Maha Osama
At AUC, many students know about harmful behaviours, but they stay silent. The pressure to avoid drama, protect social reputations, or keep friend groups intact stops people from speaking up, even when something clearly feels wrong. This has fueled the rise of anonymous confession pages on Instagram and Facebook like AUC Confessions and Rate AUC Professors, where students talk about serious issues, but only behind a screen.
Once students are accepted into the group using their ID, they gain access to a private link that allows them to confess things about anyone or share personal stories. After that, the confessions become public on the account, but only other Aucians can see them.
Being anonymous made it easier for students to ask questions, share personal experiences, or post stories about other people on campus. And the truth is, no one ever really knows who’s writing these posts. It raises questions: Is this story even true? Should we believe it?
The debate isn’t new. On Rate AUC Professors, one student named Mohamed Elgabzy created a poll asking whether anonymous posts should be banned. The comments quickly turned into a mix of frustration, defense, and confusion. Some felt that confessions were becoming toxic, while others pointed out that anonymity was the only reason students felt safe sharing sensitive issues, especially around financial aid or unfair treatment.
One admin named Neda Taher admitted, “We already do delete them, but they go viral too fast.”
Jana Aly, a junior majoring in finance, brought up one specific post that caught her attention. It was during Pride Month, when a student tried to raise awareness about homophobia, sexism, and racism on Rate AUC Professors. But instead of support, the comment section turned into a debate, full of mixed opinions and emotional reactions.
“What shocked me the most was how quickly the conversation shifted from supporting someone to tearing them apart. After reading all those comments, it felt like people were pretending to be respectful while actually shutting down the conversation,” Aly said.
Some students feel that criticism can often be confused with respect—or lack thereof.
“Everyone talks about respecting opinions, but the second you say something they don’t like, that ‘respect’ disappears. It’s like the only way to be accepted is to stay neutral, and that’s not real support. That’s pressure to stay silent,” says Jana Elbagoury, a sophomore majoring in finance.
She believes that in order for the community to get better, we need to stop acting like silence is the “polite” option.
The Caravan spoke with Joy Ademola, a Social Work Supervisor at Sidra Medicine who explained how anonymity is a double-edged sword.
“On the good side, it gives students a safe way to open up about things they’re scared to say out loud. You can talk about mental health, unfair treatment, or personal struggles without worrying about who’s watching.”
She further explained that this kind of honesty can actually bring students closer because they realize they’re not alone.
“[However] when there’s no name attached, some people feel like they can say anything without thinking about the damage. That’s when the toxic side comes out, bullying, rumors, you name it. It can mess with the trust in a community really fast.”
