Social media has a huge impact on teens today. It can be easy to make or break the highschool experience for students with the press of a button. It is up to the user to determine if they want to uplift or bring others down.  Here at Gibson Southern, two instagram accounts have caught the attention of many students and faculty members, and they are both on opposite ends of the spectrum. One account is designated a “negative” account and the other is a “positive” account. 

The first page to get recognition was the account directed towards negativity.  Better known as the “Gibson Southern Shade Room,” this account was created under an anonymous user. Students were asked to send in anonymous tips, and they were to be posted to the page, whether the information was true or not. 

“Being the target of such negativity can cause feelings of depression, loneliness, embarrassment and anxiety,” social worker Vicki Kirkman said. “It made me sad to think that people would intentionally say hurtful things about others in such a manner.”

This account was active for a week before the hype began to die down. 

As a rebuttal to this online bullying account, a freshman here at Gibson Southern took it upon themself to create another anonymous account, but for a different reason. In contrast to the negativity account, the goal of this account was to spread positivity. Students proceeded to send in anonymous tips, but instead of gossip, students are sending in compliments directed towards other students. The creator of the “Gibson Southern Compliments” page wishes to be kept anonymous at this time.

“It upset me to see people hurt over having their names associated with false rumors, so I decided to create an account that would make people smile,” the anonymous creator said.

This page became popular around Gibson Southern within the first few days of creation. 

The “Gibson Southern Shade Room” has recently been taken down off of Instagram in response to negative feedback. 

“In high school, there will be drama and adversity, but it is the manner in which we respond to it that really matters,” senior Kamryn Miller said. 

The page dedicated to spreading positivity around the school is still active in hopes to slow down the amount of bullying that happens behind the screens and at school.