by Tyler Otten | staff writer
With even more technology and apps available on gadgets, the ease of society to share their moments is always increasing. Recent events such as Marko Beslach’s ban from the Detroit Lion’s Ford Field is proof that many people are over sharing online. Marko Beslach is a Lion’s fan who shined a green laser pointer at the Bill’s quarterback, then bragged about it on Twitter. He was quickly found then issued a lifetime ban at all professional football games.
“It’s just not using your brain when you do something like that,” junior Taylor Drury said. “It’s not that you are sharing so much, it’s just bragging about things that are obviously going to get you in trouble.”
Students are quick to go to their phone whenever they accomplish something.
“I always am on Twitter, so when I’m bored I just give a quick update. Sometimes I go back and say ‘what was I thinking?!,’” junior Brianna Stefanic said.
Twitter is often how students express themselves, and often times, what pops up on their feed is what they know, and what they know is what they believe.
“I don’t really watch the news at night, I feel like I get a lot of my information off Twitter so what people are tweeting about is what I know,” Stefanic said.
This biased and limited stream of news is why kids feel the need to get online and share what they think is funny.
“Since things that are usually out of the ordinary get so famous so quick, I think kids want to put what they do online because they want to be famous themselves,” senior Melanie Gamble said.
Society strives to be on top of the totem pole, and social media is a really good way to “get famous quick.”
“So many people get famous off of the things they post so why not do it ourselves? We hardly see the consequences so we don’t really think twice,” Gamble said.
Sometimes keeping things to yourself isn’t just to prevent embarrassment. Johnson coaches check girls social media accounts to make sure they are representing their school well.
“I do check the girls Twitter accounts. If they are doing something they aren’t supposed to, or even something illegal, they will have consequences,” soccer coach Kara Star said.
But coach Star does not just check the girls Twitter accounts to make sure they are making the right choices.
“It’s not just about punishing them if they make the wrong choices. I want all our athletes to represent Johnson in a positive manner,” Star said. “If we make the playoffs or go to state, I want all the joy that goes with it. We don’t need the news pointing out that someone made the wrong choice online.”
It’s not just athletes that are being monitored at Johnson. The pepsquad, Belles and Legacies are made sure they are posting positive online too.
“I don’t like when the girls put things they shouldn’t online. I want the best for all of them, and a lot of people’s reputations get hurt online. If they don’t do what’s right, it will be a problem,” dance teacher Stephanie Felan said.
And finally, sometimes you don’t realize what you put online can hurt others. It’s not just about yourself or even your team. Sometimes it can hurt the whole school or single out one person.
“I find more often that the girls put up things that other girls feel uncomfortable being a part of. Like when someone puts up a picture and you can see someone else in the background. Things can get out of hand quickly if someone doesn’t put an end to Twitter fights or posting of things that aren’t school appropriate,” Felan said.
