The American Psychological Association recommends parents closely monitor the online activities of their preteens and teens.
You may remember an article I wrote warning parents about Tik Tok. I covered the addictive algorithms used by the social media site that take less than 45 minutes to “learn,” hook and manipulate a new user. I talked about the seductive tools Tik Tok provides for producing videos and creating content. I covered the lure of “community belonging” so appealing to the young and the dangers of Tik Tok “trends” encouraging downright dangerous behavior among teens.
It is important to visit the effect of social media on mass behavior again. Social media calls to action have resulted in huge and often violent crowds that form within hours. Social media sites have been the springboard for mob activity as well, including organized retail theft.
Recently, social media has generated multi-generational demonstrations around the world. It , too, has created chaos and hatred on campuses, not just college level, but high school as well. In a flash, social media can rally large numbers of people and whip them up into an irrational frenzy. Young people are especially vulnerable.
Hillcrest High School, Queens, New York
“Hundreds of “radicalized” kids rampaged through the halls of a Queens high school this week for nearly two hours after they discovered a teacher had attended a pro-Israel rally — forcing the terrified educator to hide in a locked office as the teen mob tried to push its way into her classroom,” reports the NY Post. How did this happen?
First of all, let’s look at the fact that someone saw a picture of the teacher attending a pro-Israel rally on a social media site — Facebook. It had nothing to do with school. The march took place on a weekend, on the teacher’s free time. But, she was holding a sign that said, “I stand with Israel.”
A bunch of kids decided to make a group chat about it. Amy Rock, writing for Campus Safety magazine, reports a student said, “…rumors spread (on social media) that the teacher ‘was abusing Muslims’ and had taught that ‘it was okay that children were being killed in Palestine.’ (False)
Another said some students were able to find the teacher’s personal information, including her address, her phone number, and details about family members. They wanted to expose the teacher. Then the chat turned to starting a riot.
Mayhem at the school ensued, all documented and uploaded to Tik Tok as it happened. Drinking fountains were ripped from the walls. Hundreds of students rampaged through the school, specifically targeting the Jewish teacher. A group of students tried to storm into her room. She was escorted to the principal’s office and removed after the NYPD had brought order back to the school.
The teacher is quoted in the NY Post saying, “I have been a teacher for 23 years in the New York City public school system — for the last seven at Hillcrest High School I have worked hard to be supportive of our entire student body and an advocate for our community and was shaken to my core by the calls to violence against me that occurred online and outside my classroom last week…. No one should ever feel unsafe at school — students and teachers alike.”
Interestingly, many of the students had no idea what they were rioting about.
