Most use social media to connect with friends, but one Abilene user is quickly making enemies.
The Instagram user is completely anonymous, but they're using pictures of Abilene students and comparing them to funny-faced cartoons or even animals.
"It's a lot of work to be ugly, that's a lot of work you putting in just to be hateful," said Shawnette Martinez who found out about the site from her daughter.
What's obviously meant to poke fun was anything but funny to Martinez.
"To have a website that directly takes a picture and makes fun of another child, it's ugly," she said.
She has two kids in Abilene schools and although they haven't been targeted, she wants it to stop.
That's why shes already contacted other parents to flag the page and contact school administrators.
"If somebody comes up to me and says hey this has happened online or this is happening then we would you know address it," said Cindy Darby, a counselor at Abilene High school.
Darby has seen the effects of cyberbullying.
"Drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse," she said.
It's something all too common for some like one highschool student who didn't want to be identified.
"It's pretty bad, I mean people are bullied every single day," she said.
She has a few friends who've already been targeted on the Instagram account.
"And I just felt bad for them because I don't know its just awful for someone to do that to another," she said.
That's one reason why Martinez is doing whatever she can to ensure the site eliminated.
"As soon as one of these children commits suicide its going to be a big deal, but until then were just going to let this site go on like its no big deal and I think it's unfair," she said.
So she's begun a virtual fight- to ensure no one else is bullied, at least on this user's site.
When it comes to social media sites like Instagram you can flag a photo or even flag an entire account as inappropriate.
As for in schools Darby says they cant do anything until a student complains about the situation, that's when they can take matters to find out who is running the site and then decide on a consequence.
The Instagram user is completely anonymous, but they're using pictures of Abilene students and comparing them to funny-faced cartoons or even animals.
"It's a lot of work to be ugly, that's a lot of work you putting in just to be hateful," said Shawnette Martinez who found out about the site from her daughter.
What's obviously meant to poke fun was anything but funny to Martinez.
"To have a website that directly takes a picture and makes fun of another child, it's ugly," she said.
She has two kids in Abilene schools and although they haven't been targeted, she wants it to stop.
That's why shes already contacted other parents to flag the page and contact school administrators.
"If somebody comes up to me and says hey this has happened online or this is happening then we would you know address it," said Cindy Darby, a counselor at Abilene High school.
Darby has seen the effects of cyberbullying.
"Drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse," she said.
It's something all too common for some like one highschool student who didn't want to be identified.
"It's pretty bad, I mean people are bullied every single day," she said.
She has a few friends who've already been targeted on the Instagram account.
"And I just felt bad for them because I don't know its just awful for someone to do that to another," she said.
That's one reason why Martinez is doing whatever she can to ensure the site eliminated.
"As soon as one of these children commits suicide its going to be a big deal, but until then were just going to let this site go on like its no big deal and I think it's unfair," she said.
So she's begun a virtual fight- to ensure no one else is bullied, at least on this user's site.
When it comes to social media sites like Instagram you can flag a photo or even flag an entire account as inappropriate.
As for in schools Darby says they cant do anything until a student complains about the situation, that's when they can take matters to find out who is running the site and then decide on a consequence.
Comments
Taking away a site that other people use and don't abuse isn't the answer.i think they need to monitor stuff better and increase security so to speak and when something like that comes up and a complaint has been made that user should be blocked and not allowed back on. but eliminating the site is not the answercause if you did that then we would lose facebook, myspace, twitter, etc and soon there would be no reason to have internet.
mistie b.
January 11, 2013 at 10:09 am
Instagram isn't the problem here, its the person that did it. Are you going to try and get every site eliminated once someone misuses it. I dont agree with bullying at all, my son gets bullied on a daily basis at his school. But whoever did it will just find another way, if you get Instagram shut down. My daughter uses that site everyday and posts wonderful pics that she takes. Why should she have that taken away from her. Closing down one site will just make them move onto another site. The site isn't the problem its the kids that misuse it.
mistie b.
January 11, 2013 at 9:49 am
