This article is subject to the Conquer with Na’Kole Disclaimer.
Happy Sunday!
The Sunday Scoop is your place to learn about the happenings on social media that may affect your tween or teen! In 2022, I have decided not to cover apps just to cover them. If there isn’t anything relevant or pertinent going on with a particular app, I won’t cover it in The Sunday Scoop.
Today, we are diving into two apps: TikTok and Snapchat. Let’s go!
TikTok
Where’s Corbin?
TRIGGER WARNING: There is a mention of kidnapping and murder.
There is a beat that has been very popular on TikTok for a while. It’s one of those beats that blows up, dies down and blows up again. If you’ve spent a few hours on TikTok, you’ve more than likely heard it.
A new snippet is currently circulating that uses that beat, and TikTok users are hopping all over it.
Here’s the thing, though.
There was a young man named Corbin Johnson. His dad dropped him off for an interview with UPS. Someone unknown to Corbin’s parents brought him home. He was later murdered.
I’m not sure what happened, but this young man is no longer with us.
Here is the line disturbing line in the trending song: “Corbin got kidnapped they found his bones he was rotten (Where’s Corbin?)”
When confronted, the writer of the song stated that he doesn’t put the names of homocide victims in his music anymore because “it’s childish”. However, harm is still being done every time videos are made with this song/sound on TikTok (and probably Instagram).
This is just a reminder that although we are always encouraged (in the business space, especially) to hop on trends, not every trend should be participated in, and it’s always good to do a little bit of research on the songs you’re making videos to.
Rest in Peace, Corbin. I send my love to his family! You can read more about Corbin and hear his mother’s heart in the article I linked below.
Article
Snapchat
The U.S. Court of Appeals Ruled that Snapchat Bullying is NOT a First Amendment Protected Activity
I’m sure we all knew this, but apparently, we needed a court ruling to make it stick.
In Hopkinton, Massachusetts, several students on the high school hockey team took it upon themselves to post videos making fun of one of their teammates. They took pictures and videos of the teammate and his family without their knowledge and permission. They mocked him, made fun of his appearance – they relentlessly bullied him.
The family of the student who was bullied filed a complaint with the school and cited the bullying policy that was in place for the school district. As a result, the students were disciplined.
ALL of the students in the group (the ones who sent messages and the ones who harassed the student in person and the ones who didn’t) were suspended from school.
The students decided to sue the school. They believed that their First Amendment rights had been violated.
The U.S. District Court dismissed their case.
The students appealed. Their argument was that since the messages were private (they were in a group chat on Snapchat), they had the right to say and do what they said and did.
The court argued that the students knew the harm they were causing and that their (bullying) messages at school were not protected under the First Amendment.
Here’s a quote from the summary article:
The Doe v. Hopkinton Public School case emphatically rejects the “rights” of students to participate in school bullying. It provides further guidance and protection to schools and districts as they carry out legal obligations to investigate and discipline students for bullying behaviors.
I have a lot to say about this, so it is on my to-do list to write an opinion article this week. I think there are a lot of fine lines and slippery slopes when it comes to schools disciplining children for things that don’t technically happen at school (or just at school). I also think that we all have to be aware that what happens on social media most definitely spills over into school the same way that those secret three-way calls turned into fights the next day back in my middle school days.
The purpose of The Sunday Scoop is to present information in an unbiased way, not to voice my opinions, so I’ll be sure to let you know when my opinion article drops!
I’d love to know your thoughts, though.
Do you think the students had a case?
Article
Wrapping It Up
Sundays are a great time to sit down with your tween or teen and talk about the happenings of life and social media.
One thing I recommend discussing is the importance of not jumping on trends without doing research first (even if it’s just going through the other videos that use the song just to make sure that nothing inappropriate is going on). Remember that once something is out there, it’s out there. Most trends are completely harmless, but you should always at least try to listen to the whole song before you hop on a trend. It will save you a lot of trouble and apologies down the line!
In 2022, I will be right here, keeping you informed. All I ask is that you stay connected and make sure to share this content with fellow parents and friends!
If there’s anything you want me to cover, or if you have any questions/concerns, PLEASE let me know!
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Na’Kole
Na'Kole Watson