Here at Bullitt East, most of our students have some sort of social media, whether it’s Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. What if having these apps meant that we need to be mature enough to use them properly? What would it look like to be mature when using social media, especially in our school? How can social media affect the classroom environment?
Last year (2022-2023) the class of 2026 were gathered in the gym so that our principal and our teachers could address the problem that was going around with social media. They may have been referring to how much negativity that was coming from the Bullitt East Confessions page on Instagram. They may have been worried about the amount of rumors that were going around causing students to get upset. A spread of videos and pictures leaked, that I doubt the people in them wanted to have out there.
Growing up with social media in our lives, it surrounding us makes us feel certain ways throughout the day. It can be different for everyone; whether it makes you joyful, angry, or just generally interested in everything that goes on around you. Depending on what you see there can change your mood dramatically throughout the day, and sometimes that’s not a good thing. The Bullitt East confessions page is a great example of being immature with social media. “I think it’s just horrible; I think posting anonymously is cowardly. We just want every kid to feel safe here,” Mrs. Clark who is one of our counselors at Bullitt East. The bullying that goes on through social media isn’t a new thing this year, but it is still taking away from our high school experience. Sure there’s going to be drama, but we don’t need to bring social media into it and make it an unhealthy thing to have.
What does it look like to be mature or responsible when it comes to social media, and the way we use it at home and in school? Social media is meant to share ideas, knowledge, and respectable opinions. If that was how everyone used it, social media wouldn’t be as much of a problem. Natalie Minor, a sophomore here at Bullitt East, talked about the way she uses social media. “I use social media to find out information for school and it’s an easy way to ask for help,” Minor said. She feels as though she uses social media in a good way, but still agrees that some people use it in a bad way, whether it be being mean to people for no reason, or spreading rumors. Our school as a whole should use our phones in more positive ways; to grow friendships, stay connected with each other, and positive community outreach. Overall, this would help alleviate the misuse of social media.
How can social media affect the classroom environment? It affects the classroom in a negative way sometimes, but for the most part, it didn’t affect the majority. It was more of a minority, with just a few students being affected. Mr. Phillips thinks about social media on both sides of the spectrum. “I know that social media has many cool attributes that are fun and engaging and it can help friendships, but there’s also just as it keeps growing and developing in the way, sometimes it’s used for evil and it just becomes really difficult to police it online to help students not go down those negative routes,” Phillips said. Phillips’ solution, or way to make it a little bit better for this problem that he has previously stated is to keep cell phone pockets on the wall. The purpose is to eliminate as much access as possible throughout the day. All while still allowing them to have it in the halls, and during lunch.
