Twitter Trolls!

I love Twitter! Since joining in May 2011 I have utilized it as a great source to share my own educational thoughts but more importantly learn from thousands of others in the Twittersphere. Virtually everything that I tweet out in regards to education, I include the hashtag #hs4 which is the school division where I serve as Superintendent of Schools. I also tend to include #abed which is the hashtag for Alberta Education. I think it is selfish not to share great information that can assist educators throughout the province.

While I love the power of Twitter from a professional standpoint and even a little bit personal, I’m becoming more frustrated with what I will call “Twitter Trolls.” While everyone is entitled to an opinion, it is disheartening when tweets are laced with hatred, foul language and rudeness. It is even worse when those tweets are coming from faceless accounts and the statements are made void of actual facts or misleading information for the sole purpose of “proving a point.”

Twitter and other social media platforms have some great benefits when used properly. Schools work hard to ensure that students are taught proper digital citizenship and leave an appropriate footprint. But when the adults can’t do the same…

As we approach a new year, I’m wondering whether all of us on social media might pause just a second before we hit send and…

• Reflect on what message we are sending?
• Reflect on what we are role modeling to others?
• Reflect on the impact of our posts both positive and negative?
• Think about who we might be helping or hurting?
• Reflect on whether the content is leading or misleading?
• Decide if we would really say what we want to say in person?

To me the last statement is essential and for most sets the bar. Could you really say the things you do on social media, with the same expression, to the person directly? If you can, maybe it is because you’re just not that nice or really vengeful and then in reality your bar is pretty darn low! So instead of being “Twitter Trolls” or just plain offside on other forms of social media,  let’s try to raise the bar in 2019!