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Let’s Talk About It: Burnbook

Photo Credit || kusi.com
Photo Credit || kusi.com

Inspired by the Burn Book in Mean Girls, Burnbook the app is horrible and needs to be eliminated. Personally, I refuse to clutter my phone memory by downloading it, but apparently it’s all the craze. From the description in the app store, it’s basically an anonymous app that creates a forum where anyone can post anything and everyone can comment.
Each PUSD high school has its own unique Burnbook.. MC’s is bad in its own right, but Westview’s and Del Norte’s happens to be the worst. You can see anything from nudes to extreme cyber bullying.
All the drama happening online is annoyingly confusing as well. There was a fake email from Del Norte’s principal, Greg Mizal, expressing concern about online bullying and saying how there was to be an assembly instead of a late start to discuss online anonymity. I don’t know who comes up with this stuff, but it’s not funny. What could possibly be the point of impersonating the principal?
But despite the fake email, Superintendent Dr. Collins sent an email and posted on PUSD’s Facebook page acknowledging the issue and announcing that PUSD has partnered with the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SD-ICAC) and the San Diego Police Foundation to help students and parents manage their online lives.
As of recently, someone threatened to bring a gun to Del Norte and the district is taking the threat very seriously. Cops were present at the school Friday and continue to do everything they can to find who posted the threat.
The whole idea of a Burnbook is so ridiculous. I can’t say that I condone fighting, but I do believe that if you have something to say about someone you should just tell them to their face. High schoolers completely embody what it means to be fake and petty, and Burnbook has allowed a forum to express this, but I am glad that someone higher up is acknowledging it for what it is before someone gets physically hurt.
Plus people forget that no matter how anonymous something is supposed to be, the truth can easily be tracked back to you through IP addresses and common sense. For example, if John Doe posts Jane Smith’s nudes and everyone knows that they dated for a year, one can easily put together that John probably posted Jane’s nudes.
All of this is so insane to me because it was only a few years ago when I went to Hillwood Middle School in Keller, TX, and there were fights pretty much every day. I honestly prefer fighting and getting issues settled on the blacktop to passively fighting in person than being ruthless online. It’s so annoying to see people all the sudden become keyboard thugs and feel like they can’t get touched.
Again, I don’t condone fighting, but I think we all should acknowledge that there was a point in time when if you said something behind someone’s back, you would most definitely see them after school and have to accept your punishment.
At the end of the day everyone just needs to sit down, do their homework, maybe go to the beach and relax. The opinions of fellow petty high schoolers doesn’t matter at all, and bullying could eliminated by simply not caring about what other people have to say.

Written by Dominique Barrett

Dominique was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She moved to San Diego her freshman year and started off high school as a Sundevil. She's played volleybal for the school since she's been here and is now on Varsity, she also joined staff as a sophomore. By her junior year she was appointed to the News editor. Another accomplishment would be when she was chosen to be a Sundevil Standout her sophomore year. Dominique has had a colorful Sundevil experience and looks forward to many more.

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