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‘So happy that my tuition went towards a balloon robot that roams the library during finals week’: Private college roasted for balloon robot in viral TikTok, sparking debate

‘Have to pay to print but hey at least there’s a robot with balloons to hopefully provide some serotonin.’

Photo of Cecilia Lenzen

Cecilia Lenzen

robot on wheels with balloons tied to it driving around a library

Northeastern University is getting roasted on TikTok thanks to a viral video showing a robot roaming the college’s library during finals week.

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The TikTok video was posted by a Northeastern University student, Meg (@winemom6969), who wasn’t appreciative of the robot.

In the video, a mobile robot with seven balloons tied to it circles in a library. Several of the balloons have smiley faces on them, and one says “Be happy.” It appears as if the robot’s intention is to uplift the students during a notoriously difficult week.

“So happy that my tuition went towards a balloon robot that roams the library during finals week,” the video’s on-screen text says.

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Tuition at Northeastern University costs $28,250 per full-time semester, according to the university’s website. For a four-year undergraduate degree, that’s a minimum of $226,000 in tuition, not including fees.

For Meg, a balloon robot didn’t cut it for finals week. She blew it off in the video’s caption, saying, “But like go huskies I guess,” referencing the college’s mascot.

By Monday, the video had garnered about 1.1 million views and mixed reactions from viewers. Some viewers thought the robot was actually cute.

“This is actually cute,” one viewer commented on the video.

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“that’s so cute,” another viewer commented.

Some viewers said—maybe jokingly—that the robot was trying its best to brighten students’ lives during finals week.

“he’s doing his best ok,” one user said.

“Don’t be mad at him he’s doing so well look at him like he’s so happy to be doing his job,” another user wrote.

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Some users said the robot was “money well spent,” but others said that money could have gone to something more useful, like functioning printers in the library.

“Have to pay to print but hey at least there’s a robot with balloons to hopefully provide some serotonin,” one viewer said.

Another viewer told Meg, “Your school is something else.”

“Don’t tell my dad or he’s gonna stop paying the bill,” the TikToker wrote in reply to the comment.

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The Daily Dot reached out to user @winemom6969 via TikTok comment and to Northeastern University via email.


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