Local teens: Gossip sites ‘everywhere’ online

Gossip sites are popping up online made by teens and about teens.

Some of the sites are categorized by school, grade, or gender; but school leaders say often times, what’s said on the internet has an effect on school life.

Students use Facebook to create what’s called “pages” and “groups.” They can add friends and talk about literally everything and anything. With high privacy settings, it’s hard to get caught.

Students everywhere take to Facebook and create pages and groups — venting about issues, relationships, and each other.

“Some say no it’s not complaining, it’s just venting and we have to talk about our problems sometimes; and I’m like, don’t do it if it’s public,” said Kyla Baledge.

Skyline junior, Kyla Baledge, says there are a ton of groups on Facebook, if you know where to look.

Students make these groups and pages private, so only those with invitations are allowed in.

“They don’t want to get in trouble so they don’t use names, but you know who they’re talking about, but they can’t get in trouble because there’s no specific name,” said Baledge.

And what’s said online quickly exits the information highway… and speeds through school hallways.

“The stuff they say at school picks up from the stuff they say on Facebook and it’s just a continual argument,” said Brad Troyer, a School Resource Officer. “Sometimes that’s difficult to stop.”

Troyer said part of the problem is teens are constantly surrounded by their peers, even at home.

“You have Facebook, you have Instagram, you have texting. It’s just constant bombardment with the technology,” said Troyer.

It’s not just high schools, colleges and universities have their own gossip sites as well.

Gossiping is considered verbal bullying and in some cases, harrassment.