As social media becomes increasingly prominent in our society, people are using the anonymity of a screen to state their opinions to the public. For students, Instagram has become the outlet for many public feelings about all sorts of things from harmless ratings of the different chairs and food to the more shameful and humiliating ratings of foreheads, sleepers, feet, and faces to even confessions. The most loved review page was slumped with over 200 followers and averaging 60 likes per post. It just so happens to be that the student that owns the page doesn’t even go to West.

     Most of these accounts are posted regularly and about people that may not know that they are being photographed and recorded, leaving the question of whether or not these accounts should be removed and stopped. Freshman Lucus Junge appeared on a bathroom-related account and said, “It’s weird. It caught me off guard…I have been violated.”

     Students and teachers alike are upset. Most recently, slumped is rumored to have posted a teacher without permission, leading to its report and removal from Instagram. Assistant principal Jessica Smith answered this, “It needs to stop. I have been reporting as many as I can but because these accounts are out-of-school platforms, we cannot punish students if we can find them. The most we can do is keep reporting them.”     

     Most people that have been featured or photographed are not left feeling good about themselves. Freshman Henry Glass was posted on slumped, “It was a bad picture,” he said, “if it wasn’t me, it would have been funny.” 

     Another freshman, Corbin Llyod, said, “I have been posted many times[on Slumped]. At lunch, I check and see myself. I’m like, ‘Oh no.’ I just feel horrible because my embarrassing photo just got posted.” 

     At least they had the option to see the post. What about the students that don’t have social media and can’t defend themselves online? Is school going to become a place to fear because anyone can capture us unexpectedly, post, and have us laughed at? 

   “I think West privacy has gone down. You can’t even use the bathroom because there is someone in there” Llyod said. 

However, what if we as students give some leadership and either stop creating these accounts or report them. Until these accounts are stopped, they will remain on social media and leave scars among us.