I remember when I was in high school there was this app that was beginning to become popular among all of the students – it was called After School. I downloaded it to see what all the hype was about, and then I realized what it was. After School is an app for iPhones and Androids that allows students of high schools to post status’ anonymously for everyone to see that goes to that certain high school. I never participated in posting, but I did read what some of the status updates had said – and they weren’t all that great.
I looked online for an article that explains the harms of this anonymous person posting application and found the one that is listed above. The article gives some good reasons as to why this app is not healthy for students because it can cause bullying, impersonation, and even the sharing of personal details or problems. I agree 100% with this statement because I witnessed it firsthand, and I saw what the app did to my high school. The article even states that someone had posted a threat saying that they would bring a gun to the high school. Even though the person who made the threat never went through with it, it is still a big deal.
The After School app, and other apps with the same concept, should not have a place in schools or even the workplace. It is important that we teach the younger generations that apps like this are not okay to use since it can cause unnecessary drama and can cause bullying as well. This app is a great example and proves what cyberbullying can do to others. Students should be aware of the harmful effects that this app has on themselves and others.
Digital Citizenship: Mallory 