Memes have for some while now been the most popular form of online currency. The more that you share, the more popular your online profiles probably are.
However, as is the case with most online trends, for every funny meme that you see, there are people sharing disrespectful or downright offensive alternatives amongst their peers.
In this case, a group of at least 10 students that had been accepted into the Harvard class of 2021 have had their offers rescinded after sharing sexually explicit memes and messages (including some that were targeting minority groups) in a private Facebook group.
A group of students that had formed the group, that at one point had been titled ‘Harvard Meme’s For Horny Bourgeois Teens’, last December and had used it to share memes and images mocking sexual assault, the Holocaust, and the deaths of children, according to screenshots of the group chat obtained by The Harvard Crimson
Once aware of the existence and contents of the group chat, the Harvard administration revoked the acceptance of at least 10 participants and has said that the decision to do so was final.
On an official Facebook page for the Harvard Class of 2021, which is set up and maintained by the Admissions Office, the page description renounces all administrative responsibility for unofficial and spin-off groups made as a result of the original page, but warns students that their admission offers can be rescinded under specific circumstances.
The description reads:
‘As a reminder, Harvard College reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission under various conditions including if an admitted student engages in behaviour that brings into question his or her honesty, maturity, or moral character’
It’s refreshing to see an example of real world repercussions happening as a result of online behaviour. By doing this, Harvard has established a new standard that shows how online ‘banter’ is not always harmless fun and can be the grounds for taking action.
Often, online behaviour can be used as an indication of a person’s true character, especially when individuals are engaging in explicit and offensive content such as the students in this Harvard group. Toxic online culture is well documented and hopefully, Harvard taking this sort of action is a step towards changing that.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.