Keywords

1 Introduction

The rapid development of the Internet managed to impact almost every sector of people’s lives. The online environment, and the varied online platforms can help people carry out their personal and professional tasks, and can facilitate collaboration and communication between them. In other words, convenience and extended access to information through the Internet has led to the penetration of technology into the private spheres of people’s lives. Users have a “technological privacy” with many devices, transporting and using them wherever they go. Traditional hierarchical structures have flattened, accessibility to public institutions has been improved and the ability to build personal and professional connections has increased [1]. In the context of the use of websites, forums, reviews, social networks, information no longer respects the traditional (top-down) one-sided communication style, but migrates towards an equal and bilateral communication [2]. Considering the many types of platforms that people have access to, one of the most used type of online platforms is represented by social networks. Thus, the online environment and social networks have removed certain communication barriers, such as those of a geographical nature, and thanks to them, individuals have the possibility to communicate at any time in real time, both with a lot of other people they have not met face to face, as well as only with close friends and acquaintances [3]. In this regard, social networks can be considered node structures that are represented by people or organizations and structures that are based on the trust between members and how strong the relationships between them are [4]. Being known as the most popular social network, from the moment it was launched Facebook registered a significant number of users, an according to the Digital 2023 report, Facebook remains the most used social network in the world, with over 2.9 billion of active users per month [5].

Internet has also given users the opportunity to make friends or even have romantic relations. An increasing number of people have the opportunity to seek their love in the online environment, although this is limited by the digital divide of inequality between those who have or do not have access to technology [6]. Online dating is a unique way of interacting with a person in order to form an interpersonal relationship. The connection between those people develops differently from that of traditional dating, because each online message starts becoming more and more intimate than the previous one. As a result of online dating, it has been noticed that some people might go through an emotional upset if they face rejection or they are found to use such platforms [7]. Given the use of social networks with the purpose of dating, one social network that offers people the opportunity to find potential life partners is Facebook. A large part of Facebook users prefer to spend time on this social network because they find in it comfort and ease [8], and because it is not necessary for them to leave their comfort zone [9]. At the same time, on platforms like Facebook, one can observe the phenomenon of need for approval, which is reflected in the frequency of posts, in posting comments to the posts of other virtual friends [10]. However, while being initially created in order to help people connect with their friends, Facebook has become a platform used by people in order to establish romantic relationships [11].

In the academic context, over time, students created Facebook confessions pages, or Facebook Crush pages, which are associated with the name of the university in which they study. Hence, according to Birnholtz et al. [12], confession pages are Facebook pages in which students can send messages to the administrator, who will then post them in an anonymous way on the page. The users who follow the page will then be able to see the message and interact with the post. In this regard, such pages offer students of the same university, the chance to interact in an informal way, in an environment in which they feel comfortable. Furthermore, the results of the study [12] also highlighted that on such pages, students can have constructive conversations, and suggested that designers and researcher should further examine the constructive role of such pages. Considering this aspect, universities could pay more attention to the way students communicate on their Facebook Crush pages, and could try to use such type of collaboration with their students. In light of this matter, a previous study [13], also emphasized that universities could use the Facebook Crush pages in order to be aware of the needs and interests of students. For example, by observing the content and the type of interaction that students have on these pages, a university could tailor its communication or promotion strategy in order to meet the needs of the students. However, the same study [13] also pointed out that, universities should have a cautious approach if they want to be officially involved in the Facebook Crush pages, or become administrators, because the students might react in a negative manner, and they might feel that the universities are invading the safe space they have created for themselves. Taking into account the ways in which students use Facebook Crush pages, a study conducted on the pages of Egyptian universities revealed that students mostly used the page in order to have fun, to express their feeling anonymously, or because they felt the need to talk to someone about different subject without the risk of being embarrassed [14]. Given the aspects mentioned above, the purpose of our paper was to examine students’ perception regarding the informal online platforms used in the name of Transilvania University of Brasov, in order to identify the way in which such platforms can influence the collaboration between students and the university. Specifically, we questioned students on their opinion about the Facebook Crush page of Transilvania University of Brasov, which is entitled: Unitbv Crush. The page was created in 2019 by students, it is administrated by students, and its aim is to help students connect with each other. Currently, the page has 2.2 thousands followers. Thus, with our study we could highlight the gap that exists when it comes to analyzing social media pages created by students in the name of the universities, without the universities having control over those pages.

2 Materials and Methods

2.1 Purpose and Objectives of the Research

The purpose of our paper was to examine students’ perception regarding the informal online platforms used in the name of Transilvania University of Brasov, in order to identify the way in which such platforms can influence the collaboration between students and the university. In order to fulfil the aim of the paper, we also established a series of objectives which referred to: analyzing students’ knowledge of the Unintbv Crush page, identifying students’ opinion about the purpose of the Unitbv Crush page, analyzing the students’ opinion about the possibility for the page to be administrated by Transilvania University of Brasov.

2.2 Methods and Instruments

In order to conduct the research we used a mixed method approach. A questionnaire was applied to 848 students of Transilvania University of Brasov. Considering the qualitative research, 15 interviews with students of Transilvania University of Brasov were conducted. To take part in the interviews, only people who have the status of “top fan” were selected, a status granted by the Facebook algorithm, which certifies that that member of the community is very active by posting comments, appreciating the content; consequently, only these type of users were selected because the opinion of those who spend the most time on the page were considered the ones who can provide the research with a broader perspective regarding the Unitbv Crush page. Given the sampling procedure, we opted for a convenient sample, meaning that those students who had the desire to answer were included in the study.

3 Results

The results of the quantitative research are further presented according to the objectives of our research. O1. Analyzing students’ knowledge of the Unintbv Crush page In order to find out if students from Transilvania University of Brasov had knowledge about the Unitbv Crush page, they were asked if they have heard of the page and also from where or from whom they have heard about the page. The results of the research showed that almost all students questioned (91.3%) were aware of the existence of the page, and only 8.7% of them did not have knowledge about the page (Table 1).

Table 1 Students’ knowledge about the Unitbv crush page
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Furthermore, most of the respondents (48.9%) learned about the existence of the UniBv Crush page through the Facebook algorithm that allows the user to observe in the "Feed" section, what activities his friends are undertaking. For example, if a person on the user's friend list has been tagged in a UniBv Crush page post, liked a page post, or interacted in any way with a post, the Facebook user will be able to see this. Next, 23.16% of the students found about the page from their faculty colleagues and 19.4% found about the page from their friends. Table 2 presents the means through which the students found about the page.

Table 2 The means through which the students found about the Unitbv crush page
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O2. Identifying students’ opinion about the purpose of the Unitbv Crush page. Results showed that the purpose of the page, from the perspective of the students, is more of an entertainment one than one dedicated to dating, as the name suggests. Out of the total number of respondents, 335 (43.3%) associate the UniBv Crush page with the idea of ​​creating funny content, in second place in terms of volume of answers is the idea of ​​dating (219–28.33%), 108 (13.97%) of respondents associate the page with the idea of ​​an informal communication channel and only 92 (11.90%) respondents associate the page with the idea of ​​creating new friendships and connections with other students. Table 3 presents students’ opinion about the purpose of the page.

Table 3 Students’ opinion about the purpose of the Unitbv crush page
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O3. Analyzing the students’ opinion about the possibility for the page to be administrated by Transilvania University of Brasov. When it comes to matter of who should administrate the Unitbv Crush page, most respndents declared that they do not agree with the idea of the page being managed by the university 78.01% (603 students claimed that they do not want the page to be managed by the university), and if this were to happen, the image of the university will not be affected or could be affected in a negative manner. Thus, only 22% (170 students) considered that the page should be administrated or managed by the university. Table 4 presents students’ opinion regarding the administration of the Unitbv Crush page by Transilvania University of Brasov.

Table 4 Students’ opinion regarding the administration of the Unitbv Crush page by Transilvania University of Brasov
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Considering the results of the qualitative research, most of the respondents declared that they found out about the page from their friends. Some of them follow the content of the page only to have fun and see how other students try to interact with each other, while some of them used it to find someone they have seen at the university or on campus. Furthermore, most of the students declared that they believe that the purpose of the page was to entertain students but also to help them establish relationships. Even more, most of them were of the opinion that the page should not be administrated by the university because the students could feel that “their anonymity is at risk or that the safe space they have created could be ruined”.

4 Discussion

Considering the results of the quantitative and qualitative research, most of the students were aware of the existence of the Unitbv Crush page. Most of them found about the page from their Facebook Feed, while many of them found out about it from their friends. When it comes to the opinion of the students about the purpose of the page, most of them declared that they think the page was created to entertain students and help them have fun, but a large percentage of the respondents believed the page was created for dating purposes. In other words, students believed that the main purpose of the page is to amuse students, while dating or romantic purposes came in second. From this perspective, our paper is in line with a previous research [14], which showed that students used the Facebook crush pages mostly to have fun. Given the matter of the Unitbv Crush page being administrated by the university, both the results of the qualitative and the quantitative research showed that students did not like the idea of the page being managed by Transilvania University of Brasov. In this regard, our paper is in line with a previous study [13], which highlighted the fact that if universities were to decide to manage the Crush pages created by students, they should consider the fact that such action could determine negative reactions from students. However, even though the students did not agree with the idea that the Unitbv Crush page could be managed by Transilvania University of Brasov, we still argue that there could be some advantages for both sides if the University would pay more attention to the content posted on the page. Thus, in the context of managerial implications, the University could try to collaborate with the administrator of the page on the matters or issues that are being discussed by the students, (while still protecting the identity of the students) in order to find out or keep up with the problems that students are facing. By doing this, the University could adapt is communication strategy in order to meet the needs of the students properly. It should be taken into account that information and communication technologies are well adopted in higher education and their further implementation can take place [15].

5 Conclusion

The purpose of the paper was to examine students’ perception regarding the informal online platforms used in the name of Transilvania University of Brasov, in order to identify the way in which such platforms can influence the collaboration between students and the university. In this regard, students’ opinion about the Unitbv Crush Facebook page was analyzed. The findings of the research showed that the page can help students collaborate, meet new people, and also has entertaining purposes. From this point of view, the page could have a positive influence on the collaboration between students. However, the result of the research revealed that the students were not keen on the idea of the page being administrated by Transilvania University of Brasov, mainly because they would feel that their privacy or anonymity could be at risk. From this point of view, the page might negatively influence the collaboration between students and Transilvania University of Brasov. However, we argue that, if carefully handled, the matter of how the page is managed by the students or by the university could bring benefits for both parties. Considering that the paper draws attention to the perception of students about the Facebook Crush page and their attitude towards the matter of who should administrate the page, universities could benefit from the results of this research, in the case in which they would like to take control over the Crush pages created by students. Considering the limitations of the study, one limitation is represented by the fact that we only analyzed the Unitbv Crush Facebook page, and thus a future research could focus on examining the content of more “Crush” pages. Another limitation is represented by the fact that we only gathered students’ opinion by applying questionnaires and conducting interviews, and a future research should focus on using the content analysis too, in order to assess the content of the posts and how the students interact with them.