“Time to check the news,” says Lucy Green ‘26 jokingly. The signature orange screen pops open to display the rapid fire thoughts, hopes and emotions of Bates’ students.

For those unfamiliar with the app, Blind Tiger is a social media platform that allows users to post anonymous comments to a Bates College forum. Next to each post, there are up and down arrows allowing users to “upvote” and “downvote” posts—equivalent to a “like” and “dislike” function. Popular posts can be saved and found later under a separate “Liked” tab.

An important feature of Blind Tiger is its anonymity for users. This creates a more conducive space for posting and conversation. Topics vary from food complaints in Commons to general life advice, but whether it be genuine questions or sarcastic commentary there is an overall sense of light-heartedness and hilarity to the app’s content. However, as with any social media, no two students’ experiences are alike. Blind Tiger’s usage and reception depend on the individual: some may use it to stay informed with campus affairs, some may use it as a means of organized ranting and others simply open it to have a laugh.

One user even reported: “Posting on Blind Tiger feels like free therapy.” Some have positive experiences, while others have felt personally targeted by posts. Recently, Blind Tiger has come into question as a “reliable news source.”

Students’ reliance on the platform became apparent early this September when a Bates student was struck by an unidentified man on alumni walk. News of this incident caused uproar on the Bates Blind Tiger page. Many claimed that they first heard of the incident while scrolling on the app, while others simply noted further speculation and rumors. This case is not unique as major incidents—both on and off campus—continue to find themselves at the subject of Blind Tiger posts. Students have begun to raise questions regarding the validity of the platform, because it is, afterall, a place of unfiltered anonymity. Individuals post freely, regardless of the nature of the content, which can often result in the spread of false news. An anonymous user noted, “The big caveat with Blind Tiger is that there are often negative and toxic posts, so you have to have a very discerning eye.”

In order to find out how the app is generally received, The Bates Student conducted interviews and a poll on students’ usage and opinions. When asked how they felt about Blind Tiger: Fifty one percent of polled students responded that they felt positively. Around 36.4 percent felt neutral, and 12.1 percent had negative feelings. From these results, The Student concluded that Blind Tiger is generally liked. Sarah Lieber ‘26 described it as both “fun” and “entertaining to see all the silly things people post.”

When asked how often they open the app: Over half of 33 polled students admitted to checking Blind Tiger more than once a day. A total of 36.4 percent of students cited curiosity  surrounding campus occurrences as their reasoning. One user said, “I really like it for trying to find out what the move is on the weekend to see where to pull up.” Approximately 27.4 percent of students claimed that entertainment was their sole explanation for checking the app, and only 3% said that they used the app exclusively as a means of expression.

With regard to sentiments of bullying and harassment: 9.1 percent of participants replied that they had, at one point in time, felt targeted on Blind Tiger. The other 90.9 percent of students did not share this experience. As one user pointed out, there is a prevalent fear of “name dropping” on the app. Another touched on the importance of “taking [Blind Tiger] posts with a grain of salt’’ as all posts remain anonymous and unverified.

Like any other aspect of the college experience, opinions and involvement remain highly divided. While students have mixed opinions regarding the app, it is indisputable that Blind Tiger has become a source of information. Whether the posts are true or false, this platform has become a major talking point on campus, making Blind Tiger a staple for Bates students.