Conduits of Chaos: Social Media and Intersections of Home, School, and Community Cultures

Abstract: Social media are a cultural leveler. Most students have cell phones, through which they may post and/or view cyberbullying threads, hate diatribes, and recordings of fights. Such posts create a toxic and symbiotic culture that seemingly transcends race and income. Closer examination suggests that social media and digital devices can be turbulent conduits that spew neighborhood chaos into schools, intersecting community and school events. We describe the experiences of students who had negative experiences with social media across the demographic spectrum and consider how these experiences reflect school, home and community. We see social media as a conduit for what we are calling chaos or turbulence. By that, we mean volatility that causes significant stress among school stakeholders, affects the physical and/or emotional safety of stakeholders, and disrupts the stability and smooth operation of the school.