I’d taken a bit of a hiatus from my blog just because I was struggling to get topics and just write meaningful things. No, every piece of writing has to be earth shattering, but I want if it’s going to be posted, I expect quality.

Well, dang it, here I am, and I’m ticked off. I have an Instagram page that I post to from time to time. It’s become a way to document what we do, where we are, and just the silly things our family does. Since it was opened, it’s a been an open page because I have nothing to hide. I’ve got students who follow my page, and I want them to see what digital citizenship looks like, that adults can model good behavior and hopefully, they can show their own good judgement.

#notanymore

I’ve got a picture of my daughters that was taken on a visit a few weeks ago. In it, they are being sisters and just being absolutely silly. Like I said, I love taking pictures just to document the fact my daughter CAN have fun without fighting. It doesn’t happen very often, but does happen.

Anyway, I found out last night, two girls got into my Instagram page, grabbed a copy of that picture, then added my daughter to a group chat to make fun of her.

#WTH

Nope, I didn’t have either of these girls in class and only had the only as a basketball player, but come on. Seriously, we’ve been reduced to copying pictures from a PARENT’S Instagram page so we can have ammunition to mock someone else? Ugh.

Needless to say, I went into my setting and closed it down. I’ve got a number of students who follow my page,  and I’m not sure if I kick them off as well. It’s hard to walk that walk of “keep things open and free” when I have this kind of garbage happen. Not a good way to end Thanksgiving weekend.

The toughest thing for me: being a teacher.  It’s tough when the expectations are sky high, when the rest of the world accepts behavior like this. If I did something like this or my daughter, wow, we’d get called out big time.  These two, they get to make fun of someone with little or no consequence.

So, as I lock down my Instagram page, I have to wonder about social media. Is it this the great technology tool many (sometimes me) make it out to be? Or is it just a gigantic digital school yard where the people who bully can hide while they do their dirty work?

Right now, I don’t know.

Not to worry, I’ve got tomorrow’s blog post all ready done, so I’ll be back on the positive side of life. It’s been a tough year, and this kind of tomfoolery just rubs me the wrong way.