When I was in high school I studied Spanish. Now I’m working my butt off to become fluent in Instagram.
I’m on Instagram every day as a writer talking about young adult books. I see teens from all over the world share thoughts about racism, equality, suicide and bullying. Sometimes the depth of what a teen shares stuns me. There have been a couple of instances where I’ve left messages for total strangers that said: “You are worthy. This too shall past. Go for a walk. Clear your head. Find an adult you can talk to.”
I often wonder, when teens cry for help on Instagram are their parents listening?
Maybe another question to ask is if parents are following their kids on Instagram, do they understand what teens are staying? Instagram has its own language that can seem like gibberish to the uninitiated. Here’s a cheat sheet to help:
#IGER: An Instagram user.
#TBT: Throwback Thursday, an opportunity to share a photo from the past.
#F4F: Follow for follow, when another user offers to follow you in exchange for you following them.
#L4L: Like for like, somebody offering to like your pictures in exchange for you liking their pictures.
#S4S: Shout-out for shout-out, when another user shares a screenshot of your account or says something nice about you, in exchange for you returning the favor.
#Regram: Sharing another account’s picture.
#Ship: Short for “relationship,” used as a verb to indicate you are rooting for a couple.
#Bae: Baby or sweetheart, or the Danish word for poop (depending on who you ask.)
#Bookstagram: A post about books.
#Nofilter: A picture in its pure form, without any filter added.
#OOTD: Outfit of the day.
The biggest reflection I’ve had about Instagram is how insightful teenagers are about social change. This was especially evident after the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage.
Just because teens don’t flood The Herald with letters to the editor doesn’t mean they don’t have opinions to share. Which got me to thinking, already a few teenagers have used the hashtag #EverettHerald in their Instagram posts. If this idea became bigger, teens could share pictures of high school athletic events, dances, afterschool jobs, school facilities in need of repair — anything they felt mattered. Instagram could become a way for our local teens to connect with the news.
So today I’m asking teenagers to share with us on Instagram pictures from your first week of school. How many textbooks do you have? What does the cafeteria food look like? Do you feel safe riding the school bus? Who are your best friends? Use the tags #HeraldTeenNews, @EverettHerald and @the_ya_gal. I’ll give a shout-out or regram to my favorite 10 posts.
I’m not Big Brother and I’m not your mom, but I am listening, and I represent adults all over Snohomish County who want every one of our high school students to have a safe and happy year. We’re #shipping for you.
Um … wait … did I use that right?
Jennifer Bardsley is an Edmonds mom of two. Follow her on Instagram @the_ya_gal, Twitter @jennbardsley, or at teachingmybabytoread.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
