Shaderooms have been popular for almost five years.

Through social media, shaderooms allow people to complain, share common frustrations and make light out of bad situations–and the LU Shaderoom that has gained a following on Twitter and Instagram is no different. 

“[LU Shaderoom] started as a silly idea,” the admin explained in a direct message on Twitter. “There are similar pages on Instagram and Twitter that I have seen for other colleges.” 

Since its activation in September, 2020, Shaderoom has gained nearly 1,000 followers on Twitter and has almost reached 2,000 on Instagram. As the account continues to reach out to students across both platforms, it has become well known and widely talked about. 

“I thought maybe [Shaderoom] would get some attention for a month or two,” the admin said. “Then the follower count kept growing and I never expected to be where I am today.” 

The creation of the LU Shaderoom came in the early days of COVID-19, where college students were struggling to make sense of the pandemic and this account gave students the ability to express their frustrations with current regulations. 

“I started the account in the fall of 2020–when we were dealing with the major COVID-19 regulations,” the admin said. “We were all online anyway and the account gave everyone something to do and created connections.” 

According to the admin of these accounts, owning a shaderoom has come with its own challenges and downsides. As with all social media, there’s always a chance that an anonymous platform could pose a threat and release harmful information.   

“The hardest part of being the admin is trying to keep the account from being used as a bullying site,” the admin said. “I do my best to let students know that I am with them and one of them, [and] that I will remove harmful or incriminating things.”

 While the admin knows that the account they own is widely known across campus, they are a student as well and enjoy giving students an outlet. Though there are responsibilities that the admin has faced with handling harmful content, the admin does their best to remain anonymous and proactive. 

“I have yet to face conflict with the university itself,” the admin said. “However, I’m still cautious with my identity incase problems arise.” 

Along with these challenges, LU Shaderoom has also experienced positive attributes of having a challenging role. 

“The greatest thing about [Shaderoom] has really been feeling like I’ve allowed people to connect,” the admin said. “The main goal of the page is to give students an outlet.” 

As of now, the admin of LU Shaderoom explains that they are questioning what they are going to do with their platforms when they graduate. 

“I have yet to decide what I’ll do when I graduate,” the admin said. “I may pass it along to a new admin, but I worry about everything I’ve worked so hard to create being destroyed.” 

LU Shaderoom’s following and presence were both created to send a positive message to the students that there was finally a place where they could complain about difficult situations. Though the admin keeps themselves anonymous within the student body, they admit that as with many students, they desire to have a voice.