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.
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 — one that judges, labels and exposes.
Marketed as a dating advice and safety app, 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.
The app’s original concept was simple. Users could “review” 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.
Instead of encouraging safe dating, Tea has become a tool for destroying reputations. Students’ names and photos can be posted without consent. Comments range from petty jabs about someone’s personality to serious, unverified accusations.
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.
The app’s artificial intelligence verifies 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.
The app also offers “Tea Party” group chats where women share information and experiences about men, along with a built-in rating system that lets users give men “green flags” for positive interactions or “red flags” for concerning behavior.
Tea’s color-coded system encourages snap judgment. Green is good, and red is bad. No context, no nuance, no middle ground.
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’s much like leaving a review on Yelp or Google, which is dehumanizing to say the least.
The app’s algorithm promotes the most provocative posts. That isn’t safety — it’s just speculation.
And when reputations are influenced by comments and color codes, irreparable damage can spread quickly. Some 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.
At Lehigh, where community and trust are core values, the consequences are severe. Students may feel isolated and anxious, and some may even withdraw from dating entirely. The emotional toll is real, and shouldn’t be dismissed as “just an app.”
Tea itself is partially to blame, even though its team claims it’s not responsible for user content. “Tea Dating Advice assumes no responsibility regarding the accuracy of User Generated Posts presented on the Services,” according to its terms of service published in August.
Yet Lehigh’s policy on online conduct, addressed under its policy on harassment and non-discrimination, emphasizes respect and consent — standards Tea undermines. The app weaponizes information, real or not, and disguises bullying as honesty.
Tea should restructure to prevent these harms. Limits on anonymity, word filters or shadow banning repeat offenders could make a difference.
Until the app takes responsibility and actively monitors posts to protect users, Tea doesn’t deserve our participation. Every view and share strengthens its ability to harm. We can choose differently, though. We can decide that empathy outweighs entertainment and that someone’s reputation isn’t a toy to play with.
Students should pause before engaging with apps like Tea. Report harmful content, and if targeted, seek support from friends and counselors.
A college community thrives on connection, collaboration and respect — qualities Tea chips away at.
It’s sad and indicative of broader trends on social media that an app intended for safety and support for women who may want to be more cautious when dating has turned into a downward spiral of judgement and dehumanization.
This happens frequently on other apps that many college students have downloaded, with anonymous posting platforms like YikYak sometimes being filled with rash judgements about certain groups on campus, or even more conventional dating apps like Tinder or Hinge becoming places to judge others purely from photos and bios.
While it’s easy to feed into a craze when it feels like everyone’s on a specific platform, we owe it to each other to act with empathy, not exposure, because no one should have to fear being labeled as someone else’s “red flag.”
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