There’s a new “boobment” sweeping across universities.
Honing in on football and sexual fantasy, a new twitter account, @UF_Boobs, is leaving football players and fans panting.
The trend started as #kuboobs at the University of Kansas. Other schools soon jumped on the bandwagon, including UF, to show some cleavage.
“Representing the best boobs in the SEC,” according to the account, the new page has tweeted about 3,600 times and has gained about 2,900 followers who want to catch a glimpse.
Another account associated with the Gators, @Gatorboobs, has also sprung up on the Web, posting pictures of women to its 1,000 followers since Jan. 15.
Schools with similar accounts include the University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of Arkansas, Vanderbilt University and Florida State University.
Although other accounts post pictures of anonymous women from the neck down sporting school logos, @UF_Boobs posts pictures of women with their faces while they wear outfits that sometimes don’t adorn the Gators orange and blue.
@UF_Boobs declined to comment via Twitter.
Dana Fletcher, a 20-year-old UF psychology senior, said she thinks girls who submit photos to the account are “looking for approval and instant gratification.”
“They are not thinking long term,” she said.
Hannah Becker, a 21-year-old UF political science and psychology senior, agreed.
Becker, who is applying for graduate school, said it’s important to know what will be the first thing employers and schools see when they Google a person’s name.
“Girls have the right, but I think it’s bizarre to want to post this,” she said.
Considering how popular Twitter is, she said, the following will grow.
UF social media specialist Bruce Floyd said social media makes pictures or posts very easy for people to share, which could catch on unexpectedly.
“Suddenly your potential boss sees it, or your parents see it,” he said. “Just because you are posting to friends doesn’t mean it will stay amongst friends.”
Floyd said any image on the Internet has the potential to go viral.
“You are what you tweet,” he said. “Once you post online, it’s there. Even if you get rid of it, it’s still out there.”
Derrick Ross, a 21-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, said he heard of the trending “boobment.”
Ross said although the account could be all in good fun, he wouldn’t take part.
Dan Harcha, a 23-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, shared the same views as Ross.
Harcha said people have to think before posting pictures of themselves online.
“You need to think of the consequences,” he said. “Things will follow you.”
Contact Alexa Volland at avolland@alligator.org.
