Consider this the confession of a reformed Venmo user. In one instance, a simple request from a fraternity brother for repayment for a midnight McDonald’s run lingered for more than two years. Despite text after text and reminder after reminder, the request went unanswered.

Cicero’s definition of justice is rendering unto each man that which he is due. In this sense, neglecting Venmo is a grave injustice — it creates animosity between friends. After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. 

Jillian Parks, in her Sept. 1 Collegian piece “Be A Generous Person: Don’t Venmo request,” claims that Venmo has led to “a culture that emphasizes being indebted.” I would contend that it merely creates an environment of fiscal responsibility. Individuals who simply say “I’ll get you back next time, bro” never intend to, and must be held to account. I would know. I used to be one of them. 

This is not a rejection of the Christian notion of charity, which is admirable and should be practiced, but is instead a recognition of real-world circumstances that arise when handling money. Yes, of course, it is more than acceptable to offer to pay for a friend’s meal as much as one would like. There are few who would demand repayment for gas money for a two-minute drive to Kroger or to Rough Draft. Such a thing would be patently absurd and parsimonious. But a 45-minute trip to Jackson for Starbucks? A two-hour drive to the airport? Consider chipping in.

Venmo reminders, as something in and of themselves, also fail to create the environment that Parks so bemoans. From a user perspective, they are easier to fulfill than creating a payment – the user merely must tap a button to complete the charge, as opposed to setting a recipient and an amount. It’s not rude to use an app to ultimately make your friends’ lives easier. 

American society may be focused on indebtedness, but it is irresponsible to claim that this is the result of students making Taco Bell runs when the average American in their 20s has a FICO score of 662 (nearly 50 points below what is considered a “good” credit score), or when America as a whole owes nearly $2 trillion in student debt. Don’t blame Venmo when institutional lenders should shoulder the blame.

The truly generous friend does not simply give away, but builds up the character of those around him. Don’t mollycoddle your friends and feed into their fiscal irresponsibility. Make them pay up.