Editor’s Note: Recently, Dr. Marialice Curran shared the article “8 Ways Kids Are Using Instagram to Bully” via Twitter along with a challenge to schools nationwide to provide a rebuttal. I decided to take Marialice up on this challenge. I assigned the Help Desk students of Burlington High School to read the article and write a response highlighting the positive ways students are using social media. Below is what each student had to say. You can click on the students’ names to visit their individual blogs.
After reading the blog post, 8 Ways Kids Are Using Instagram to Bully, I remain perplexed as to why the conversation revolving around social media and its implications on the lives of teens remains a negative one. While the author’s citations of past incidents may be true, they provide no service whatsoever to counteracting cyber bullying, however, only perpetuate negative stereotypes surrounding the world of social media. Rather than provide a solution or effect positive change to the cited malicious behavior, the author participates in the culture of shaming social media: an action that only makes the internet space less safe for teens.
As I explain in my (Spanish) EdCamp Global Classroom Presentation, “Buscame por Google, Se Reto” (Google Me, I Dare You), degrading social media promotes negative use. In psychology, this phenomenon is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy- if you have a negative attitude, negativity will occur. Similarly, by constantly lecturing students, parents, and teachers about the harms of social platforms, students develop negative schemas for social media and learn to associate its use with malicious behavior. Therefore, I dare to ask: why is the conversation never positive?
Well, that is quickly changing by thought-leaders eagerly following the footsteps of Dr. Marialice Curran. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Curran virtually several times, simultaneously creating a positive digital footprint as well as demonstrating 21st century interview skills as I hosted her on the Burlington High School’s live Google Hangout webinar, Help Desk Live. The only times I have met Dr. Curran face-to-face were at the nation’s first Digital Citizenship Summit, and again when she invited me to present at the first international Digital Citizenship Summit in England. In fact, the sole reason Dr. Curran and I met was because of my positive use of social media. After following my work avidly on Twitter and About.me, Dr. Curran was eager to speak with me and include student voice in her work with the DigCitSummits. As a direct result of leveraging social media to my professional advantage, through serving as a contributing author to the BHS Help Desk blog, Teachers With Apps, and my own blog, I have gained a digital reach of over 200,000 viewers in over 160 countries across 6 continents (82% of the globe), as well as been invited to speak in 4 countries across 3 continents, interning in digital content for EdTechTeacher, and even blogging for brands as renowned as Rosetta Stone.
Clearly my experience leveraging social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, my blog) is taboo. But– dare I question the status quo again– why does it have to be? If we collectively divorce from the rhetoric of social media’s explicitly harmful nature, then we embrace the challenge to promote positive social media use in schools. Students can learn to leverage Twitter to build a global community of learners, use YouTube to share their content, connect with professionals via LinkedIn, and assert their voice through blogging. Through education, demonstration, and proactive conversation we can abolish cyber bullying- but we must first abolish our negative mentality.
While the general attitude on social media in the high school setting is typically a negative one, plagued by claims that sites such as Twitter are breeding grounds for inappropriate use and bullying, Burlington High School exhibits a much different attitude. Simply writing off the legitimate uses of social media based on archaic beliefs that it is harmful to students just will not do anymore as schools, such as Burlington, are utilizing the many benefits of social networking. The interactions between teachers, students, and administrators on various social media sites create a safe and productive online community. These interactions, which occur inside and outside of school, connect members of the school community in an effective and mutually beneficial way.
Hashtags are a popular way for Twitter users to connect and express their opinions on world trends. At Burlington High School, various teachers and administrators use hashtags to connect with students after class. The most commonly used one is “#bhschat,” which students use to connect with other students and administrators. Although one of its main uses is to update students on snow days or delays, it is also used by our principal, Mr. Sullivan, to send out important updates and news. March 23rd was “#WorldPoetryDay,” and many of the English teachers took this opportunity to create Twitter-based assignments regarding poetry appreciation. Mrs. Janovitz, my senior English teacher, asked that our class tweet our favorite line from any poem and feature the hashtag. She favorited and replied to many of the tweets that were sent out. Teachers like Mrs. Allison involve the students in fun and engaging projects on Twitter. Her class passes around a stuffed elephant which they received for symbolically adopted and posts funny pictures of it using the hashtag “#50picsfor136.”
Having teachers and administrators with a strong online presence encourages students to be conscious of what they are posting. There are very few incidents of social media misuse at our school as a direct result of the involvement of adults in the school community. Several of my teachers and sports captains follow me on Twitter, and I interact with them regularly. Ms. Scheffer sends Twitter direct messages to me about assignments, and has even tweeted me wishing me luck in my upcoming hockey game. When my calculus teacher, Ms. Boyle, could not reach me by email, she tweeted to me so that I would not miss her message. Not only does having teachers present deter me and many other students from misusing Twitter, but many varsity sports teams and extracurricular activities have Twitter pages. From hockey, to National Honor Society, to Rotary Interact club pages, I am connected with many influential teachers and coaches, who as a result, have full access to my account.
It is evident to anyone who spends a day at Burlington High School that Twitter is an important educational tool and means of communication for the community. So why is it that more people are writing and paying attention to articles such as “8 Ways Kids are Using Instagram to Bully” than those that promote the many benefits of involving students and teachers in social media? The issues detailed in this article are not even present at BHS because of the presence of teachers, administrators, and coaches on various social media. Students are aware of how important it is to maintain a positive digital presence, as it can be accessed easily by many members of the BHS community. The involvement of teachers and students on social media does not inhibit learning or encourage bullying, but rather allows academic interaction outside of the classroom and discourages inappropriate behavior.
Twitter is one of the most powerful social media tools in the world. According to the company’s fact sheet, there are 320 million monthly active users on Twitter. But how many of them are used in a positive way? Check out my twitter handle HERE to see how I use Twitter in a positive way. When checking out my Twitter account please realize how professional my account really is! In the last year I have turned my social media status around completely. I realized how important it is to my digital profile and that it could effect my future! I have participated in multiple “#techteamMA” Twitter chats that are a great example on how to use Twitter in a positve way. Please view the pictures that I have provided that show clear cut examples on how much potential Twitter has to be used in a positive way!
I am not the only one that uses Twitter the correct way. Click HERE to visit Peace First Prize, a website that consists of many success stories on how using social media in a positive way influenced their lives tremendously. This website consists of many celebrity ambassadors that support using social media accounts in the most positive way possible. It’s crazy how we don’t hear about this stuff on the main stream news!
One of the most popular success stories is that of West High School in Iowa City. A group of students made a Twitter account (@Westhighbros) releasing positive information about each student so that no one gets forgotten. Their reasoning for creating the Twitter account was to ensure students that they would not be forgotten, which in the long run would make students feel more appreciated and dispose of bullying in the school. Click HERE to learn more about the West High Bros account and how they made an appearance on the nationwide known “The TODAY Show”! The article, 8 Ways Kids are Using Instagram to Bully, states that bullies are the most active on Instagram. In comparison to Twitter, I think that bullies are more likely to attack over Twitter. Twitter provides a better platform for users to comment on tweets and for everyone to see it. I tend to find that especially in high school, the more proactive bullying happens over Twitter. But what comes with this bigger audience on Twitter, comes bigger consequences.
When applying to schools and jobs most admissions officers will check an applicant’s social media to learn more about who an individual really is. Are you proud of what that person will see? Think of it as an extra application, except this time you did not necessarily have to turn this one in. Instead, every time you hit the vibrant blue “tweet” button, you are submitting new pieces of information for an admissions representative to look at. Weird to think about, right? I think I started to realize this when I entered high school. For one, I was not the type to put all my feelings out on social media for the world to see, so I guess that helped. But I did see the impact that Twitter and other social media could have on my future. Ever since I joined the Burlington High School Help Desk I have made it my goal to have my Twitter be as positive as possible. I actually encourage and want colleges to look at my Twitter and see all the positive things I have done. It could even be the difference between getting into a school and getting denied. The impact of Twitter and other social media is extremely powerful and can absolutely change lives, for better or for worse, it is your choice.
Social media sites, such as Instagram, allow users to express themselves through pictures. People are allowed to post as many pictures as they would like and they can control who they are following and who is following them. When someone you are following posts a picture, you can “like” and comment on the picture. Critics complain that Instagram is a gateway for cyberbullying, due to the fact that people are allowed to comment on other users’ pictures, but I have to disagree. In my personal experiences with Instagram, I’ve found the opposite. Whenever I come across a “selfie” or a picture someone has posted of themselves, there is always a flood of compliments underneath the post. Girls in particular tend to have a bad reputation of cyberbullying, but I personally feel that they are the most encouraging ones on social media. Girls are always commenting on other girls’ pictures and bragging about how beautiful their picture is. Girls who don’t even know each other are compelled to compliment one another. The very few comments that are seen as being negative are those from close friends or family and are meant as a joke. The only times I ever see truly hateful comments are those on the pictures that celebrities have posted. Although I am not condoning this negativity, celebrities are trained to ignore this animosity because they know that not everyone will be their fan, and that as long as people are talking about them, they are doing something right.
Another issue people have with instagram is the constant competition for likes on posts. Some people believe that the more likes a user gets, the more popular they are, which is not true. The Instagram users that get the most likes are the ones that have the most followers. For example, someone who has one hundred followers is not going to get the same amount of likes as someone who has one thousand followers. If users want to get more followers in order to get more likes, they can put themselves out there by following many accounts or making their Instagram public. By gaining more followers and becoming more interactive on Instagram, the obsessiveness over the amount of likes on a post will subside. Now, just because I have never experienced cyberbullying on Instagram doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. If an Instagram user is being harassed, they are allowed to delete spiteful comments and block the user. Also, people can report unwanted comments and harmful Instagram users, and the reported user will then be reviewed by a team of Instagram employees. If this profile is reported more than once, or contains inappropriate and insulting content, the account will be suspended or deleted. Instagram is designed to be a safe and positive way for users to display their life to their followers.
With the ever expanding world of social media, whether we like it or not, global perceptions are formed based on how we communicate as members of our digital society. These perceptions can be positive or negative and to some degree influenced and shaped by how we are using digital tools. I admit while social media has its share of negative views, I also believe the positives outweigh them. This beliefs stems from using social media tools and more specifically, YouTube. I use YouTube as a means of relaxing, entertainment, and education. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade and haven’t heard about it, YouTube is a multipurpose website that offers many different ideas such as browsing popular videos, listening to music, or uploading and sharing a video. One of the things I love about YouTube are “YouTubers” or the people around the world who use professionally and I enjoy YouTubers who play video games as part of their channel.
With the ever expanding world of social media, whether we like it or not, global perceptions are formed based on how we communicate as members of our digital society. These perceptions can be positive or negative and to some degree influenced and shaped by how we are using digital tools. I admit while social media has its share of negative views, I also believe the positives outweigh them. This beliefs stems from using social media tools and more specifically, YouTube. I use YouTube as a means of relaxing, entertainment, and education. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade and haven’t heard about it, YouTube is a multipurpose website that offers many different ideas such as browsing popular videos, listening to music, or uploading and sharing a video. One of the things I love about YouTube are “YouTubers” or the people around the world who use professionally and I enjoy YouTubers who play video games as part of their channel.
There are many different kinds of YouTubers who upload videos called Let’s Plays. For you adults who are reading this, Let’s Plays are videos that YouTubers upload of themselves playing a game requested by the audience. YouTube allows for people to communicate with YouTubers of their liking. Many people see YouTubers as idols or role models because these YouTubers know how to connect with the audience and relate to them. This is extremely important because connecting with the audience is a vital part in introducing positive ideas that people will accept. The article 8 Ways Kids Are Using Instagram to Bully mentioned how bullies can leave cruel remarks in the comments, and while this does happen in YouTube, the number of positive comments outshine the negative remarks significantly. With YouTube, the user also has the option of disabling comments or having certain people reported so that they cannot view their videos anymore. This a tool YouTubers use to remove negativity from their videos and thus create a more positive environment for the user as well as the targeted audience. My favorite YouTuber, Pewdiepie who is the number one YouTuber in the world with a subscriber count of more than 42 million and rising, has utilized his popularity to start up charities. He refers to his audiences as his “bros” which really connects with people in a humorous way. The charities that he has organized have raised more than $1 million, demonstrating his use of social media as a way to bring about positive changes in the community. The water campaign’s goal was to raise $250,000, but with his positivity and aptitude to make people laugh and connect with him on his channel, he surpassed his goal and is now raising over $400,000 for the water campaign. This shows how connecting with communities and caring for them with tools such as YouTube can lead to powerful and innovative ideas that can help people around the world.
One of the most frequently used sites on the internet is YouTube. I can confidently say that everyone has used YouTube at least once. For the very few that don’t already know, YouTube is a site that has allowed people to post and stream videos easily since 2005. I use YouTube quite frequently for my own personal use. I plan to start using it professionally as well. People who use YouTube professionally or “YouTubers” can become a partner with YouTube and get paid for their videos after gaining popularity. They can use the money they earn for whatever they want. In other words, people can make a living off of YouTube. For years I have only dreamed of using YouTube the same way these internet icons do everyday.
Many YouTubers excel above the rest and try to make a difference. For example, my personal favorite YouTuber, Mark Fischbach AKA Markiplier, one of the most popular gaming YouTubers at 12 million subscribers at the time of this post, does charity livestreams and frequently donates tens of thousands of dollars because he feels that because of his popularity he can make a difference in the world. His fan base is one of the most close knit groups of people I have ever seen. People donate because of him and he is an inspiration to people everywhere. Another example would be Felix Kjellberg AKA Pewdiepie. He has the most subscribers on YouTube and uses his fame to do charity events like Mark. Similar to Mark, his fanbase is very involved in these charity events.
For my ILE this semester, I will be creating my own YouTube channel in attempts to bring people together through their love of videogames under the alias “Logix”, the channel will be up and running very soon with the first video so stay tuned. I will also be working in collaboration with some of my friends who have decided to start a YouTube channel along side me. My current goal is 50 subscribers, I hope to inspire them to make a difference in the world and try to make the world a better place. Someday I hope to use YouTube the
A social media tool that I use often is Twitter. Twitter is my favorite social media because it allows its users to connect with celebrities, companies, or even their friends. Twitter can also be very beneficial for students. Students can follow their principal’s or the school district’s Twitter accounts to get notified about school cancellations or any other important events going on in the school such as the school musical, sporting events, and any other information that the school wants students to be aware of. I use Twitter in a very positive and professional way. First of all, I never Tweet anything that would make me look bad or harm my reputation because any future employers/college admissions employees could be looking at my profile. Second, I make sure to follow my friends and accounts run by the school. This way I can receive important notifications from the school and I can learn about exciting things that happened to my friends such as getting accepted into their top choice colleges. Twitter can also be used in professional ways that help prepare you for a successful future.
One example of professional use of Twitter I participated in, was a student led Twitter chat. This was the very first time I used Twitter to have a live conversation with other students at different schools. In the Twitter chat, the leaders Tweet out questions with the hashtag, #techteamMA, and we have to respond to each question. The topic of this Twitter chat is how the Help Desk can help the student population at BHS and other similar schools. Another way that Twitter could be used professionally is networking. Networking is meeting other people in the same job field you are looking into and making connections. This is important because it can help you land a job/internship. My future career aspirations include entering the business world. Through my research, I have learned businesses are heavy users of social media, one example being Nike. Nike has a Twitter account for their store. On this Twitter account, Nike will post updates about the release dates of certain shoes. Nike also will post about promotions. This Twitter account has a massive audience of around 4 million followers. This is a very effective marketing tool, because it is free, it reaches a huge audience, it can help the customers, and it can help increase their revenue. Nike also uses Instagram to display many of their new products or clothing lines.
Networking, promoting, and notifying students about events are some of the many positive ways that students can use social media. However, there is a stereotype that all teenagers use social media irresponsibly and it has no positive use. The article 8 Ways Kids Are Using Instagram to Bully has some examples of negative social media use, but none of them are commonplace at Burlington High School. I have never seen anybody tag another student under inappropriate photos, write mean comments on somebody’s post, or make a fake account for somebody. One thing that occasionally does happen is someone will post an embarrassing screenshot from Snapchat or Facetime. They are never anything too bad, just the person making a funny face. This is always done by friends in good fun. If a person is genuinely upset about the photo, their friend will most likely remove it. Cyber bullying has the same consequences as real life bullying. Teens can get in trouble, and people will think less of them for being a bully. In the article, it said that people can make mean comments on photos, but this can happen in real life too. People can make rude comments about your looks or outfit. There will always be mean people in life, and the internet can be another outlet for them. In the event that someone posts a mean comment on your photo, you can remove it. While there are some problems with social media, the benefits far outweigh them.
Social media is a powerful tool for Internet users. It is a way to communicate, interact and learn from other individuals or companies. Social media gives one the ability to learn from people all over the world. Twitter for example is an excellent way to communicate with other people, groups, or companies. It is a way for a person to share their ideas and connect with the people that have the same mindset as them. Twitter is also a way for an individual to explore new thoughts, beliefs and concepts as other people across the world. It is an amazing example of a online social connect. Twitter is an ideal source of social media for personal and educational use. One quintessential example of social media used for educational purposes is a twitter chat.
Recently, the students from the Burlington High School Help Desk had a Twitter chat on the educational use of technology in schools. During the Twitter chat, the students of the Burlington help desk communicated with other students in help desks of surrounding towns. They conversed about how students tech teams help to maintain technical devices and use their time and resources to help their schools. Teachers and students all over the state were involved in this Twitter chat responding and sharing their ideas about this topic.
Twitter however, like other social medians, is also a source for cyber bullying. Many people have blamed social media for unwanted stress on people, especially youth. Like Intsagram, people have seen a significant amount of harassment on the victims’ pictures and posts. According to this article many people receive hate comments on their posts. A way to help this situation would be to change the settings. Instagram has a setting for the account holder to control its posts. Account holders on Instagram have control on who sees their posts or who is allowed to follow them. With proper precautions and little more attention of security, Instagram along with many other social mediums, can stop cyberbullying.
Even though all social mediums have a way to protect from and block out cyber bullies, one of the easiest ways to stop cyberbullying is to create a positive social aura. If people who use social media are smart about the ways they use their online accounts, the cyberbullies have no way to reach out towards them. I personally use social in a very positive manner with my 20% individual learning endeavor (ILE) project in my technology integration class. In my technology integration class, we have the option to find something that we truly care about and expand our knowledge on that which is worth 20% of our grade. My ILE has made me the youth organizer of the upcoming TEDxYouth event at Burlington High School. I use various social media to promote the event. This would be a way to social media positively. I will be using social media to promote the education TedxYouth which affects me and many others in a positive manner. Making my social presence positive on the internet is an excellent way to stop cyberbullying.
Donnie Boermeester
Social media tools like Twitter can be used in many ways. Prior to taking Help Desk I used to tweet pointless things that nobody really cared about. Also, because of my age, my Twitter was never really up to par. Now, after maturing and learning how social media can affect me, I’ve started using my Twitter in a different way. I took a more professional stance on my profile; from my profile picture, to the context of what I tweet. With school being the more prominent topic of my Twitter, I now understand that I should align myself with professionals. The reason for this is that I plan to create a network in hopes of landing future job opportunities. Maturing definitely plays a big role in how social media is used. For instance, when I created my Twitter three years ago, I had no intention of using it for professional networking.
One of my favorite quotes is, “mean people are just mean.” This isn’t just true in real life but online as well. There will forever be mean people in the world and when they decide to be negative, don’t let it bring you down with them. I have created a Twitter page that is dedicated to posting positive daily quotes which I also write down in the Help Desk. This Twitter page is meant to bring some positivity into someone’s life. When they see their daily positive quote, that may inspire them to do more good and less mean. Like I said, there will always be mean people on the internet, but that is a known risk you are taking when you post anything to social media.
Looking at how things are in the realm of social media, anyone could say that it is in a very negative place. In my opinion though, Tumblr (with few exceptions of course) is combatting that. Tumblr is a platform where you can create a personal ‘blog’ about anything you would like. Essentially, Tumblr allows you express your personal interests among others and anyone else who may stumble across your page. You can follow your friends of course, and other blogs who post other amazing things regarding your interests. The great thing about Tumblr is that is positive reinforcement. Because you have entered into a community of people who like the things you do, it’s simply all love. Another cool thing that separates Tumblr from the rest of the social media platforms these days is that you can message anyone. You can click or tap on your message tab and shoot a message to that one blogger who posts everything that you can directly relate to, and hope he/she isn’t too busy and helps you through whatever it is you’re facing. With this type of positivity going around on Tumblr, the main hope is that other people will take that energy and spread it across the internet. You can check out my Tumblr blog, that is all dedicated to hip hop music here.
Adam Princiotta
Social media is not used as a way to spread negativity as much as the blog post, 8 Ways Kids Are Using Instagram to Bully says. A majority of users on social media use it for positive reasons, either posting happy or funny moments and also complimenting each other. A social media site that can be used both personally and professionally is a live streaming website called Twitch.tv. Live streams can last from a few minutes to more than twenty-four hours.
There are many famous Twitch streamers who conduct charity streams. One in particular, JoshOG, ran a charity stream that raised over $25,000 from viewer donations for children with cancer. At the end of the stream, because of the generosity of donors, he decided to donate $10,000 of his own money to the charity. He keeps his streams positive by thanking every person who donates, subscribes and even people who have joined for the first time. He is building a positive community where everyone cheers him on and gives each other advice. There are bots and moderators that stop people that are spamming comments and he bans people from typing in the chat if they are spreading negativity. With over 900,000 followers, it can be tough to keep up with the people who post negativity, but he does his best to stay positive.
Twitch.tv can be also be used personally. As long as someone has the software, which is free to download, they can stream. It is great to stream you talking and playing with friends. It saves all of your broadcasts so that you can go back and rewatch the fun you had. Despite the negative uses of social media, as pointed out in the article, it can be used positively, to spread happiness, and as a way to collaborate to help others. Twitch has a feature where you can host someone else’s stream. Basically, popular users host smaller channels. When you click on the big user’s channel, it shows the other channel’s stream. This is great for growing communities.
Not everyone uses social media to spread positivity, but I have seen many profiles on many different media platforms that do. The article claimed that students take screenshots and post embarrassing pictures from facetime, but based on my experiences, people do not take and post pictures from facetime onto social media sites. Sometimes my friends and I will share pictures in our group chats; we laugh at them for a few minutes and move on. Social media is not a tool to spread negativity, rather it is a great way to connect with many communities and spread positivity.
BHS Took the Challenge…Now It’s Your Turn!
As the co-founder of the digital citizenship Twitter chat and the National and International Digital Citizenship Summits, Marialice is dedicated to showcasing how social media can be used by students in a positive, safe, and ethical manner. She, along with so many other educators dedicated to changing online student behavior for the better, knows that modeling appropriate behavior is crucial for meaningful change to happen. I feel fortunate to work in a district where students are allowed access to digital tools so they can emerge as digital role models for their peers.
So often negative stories about social media misuse by young people dominate the headlines, however Marialice and I are passionate about sharing all the positive ways social media is being used by not just our students, but students across the globe. As co-moderators of the #digcit chat, we don’t just want to talk about positive digital citizenship, we want to show concrete examples of doing digital citizenship. In others words, as Marialice has stated over and over, we believe digital citizenship needs to be a verb. Therefore, we have created a new, challenged based format for the digital citizenship Twitter chats. Our challenge for the month of April is for schools to integrate Snapchat in a positive way. This can be for an individual classroom teacher, grade level, a school, or an entire district. For more details on why we are changing the format, check out our latest post about how Burlington Public Schools will be meeting the April Digital Citizenship Challenge.
Burlington High School Help Desk 
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