Like many recent internet jokes among teens, the popularity of school Instagram pages originated on TikTok before spreading to high schools all over the U.S, including those within FUHSD. A variety of accounts were quickly born from this trend, some with an immense following: @lynbrooksleeps features Lynbrook students napping at school, @fuhsd.bathroomfeet showcases photos and videos of FUHSD students’ shoes and @fuhsdposturecheck displays FUHSD students’ bad posture. Although the anonymous administrators of these pages may only intend to provide students with a quick laugh, they should be aware of negative effects such as cyberbullying and harassment can easily arise from such pages.

A few accounts have become well-known among the FUHSD community, with follower counts ranging from a few hundred to more than 2,000. Most, if not all, of the posts are sourced from students who photographed or filmed others, often without the subject’s knowledge or consent, which violates their privacy.

“There have been a few times when people messaged us to take a post of them down, which we did immediately,” an administrator of the @fuhsdposturecheck account said. “We have learned to try our best to only post pictures submitted by what looks to be the person in the picture’s friend, not zoomed-in photos of someone far away.”

Some account administrators make efforts to respect the wishes of photo subjects by communicating on their account biographies that people may request for photos to be taken down. Although this is a start to protecting the online privacy of students, permission for sharing photos should not only be requested after the picture has already been posted, as it is not enough to save subjects from embarrassment from the account’s audience. 

Subjects may not even have the chance to request for their photo to be taken down if they are unaware it has been posted. The image could be in the hands of anyone with access to view the page and be shared with others beyond that circle. If the subjects do not come across the post or if others do not notify them, an unwanted photo could be on the internet forever.

These pages can easily compromise individuals’ internet safety and have led to serious consequences for students at other high schools. According to the Branham Bear Witness, Branham High School’s official newspaper, several students have been suspended and received police reports after similar instagram profiles were accused of cyberbullying and sexual harassment on campus. Since Branham Principal Cheryl Lawton’s announcement on the issue, several Instagram pages of the Branham community have deleted their posts or taken down their pages.

For school Instagram pages, the line between humorous and hurtful content is often blurred. Account administrators and students should assess the possible consequences of their actions and maintain respect when running or interacting with these accounts, as they can easily develop into centers of cyberbullying or harassment if managed irresponsibly.