Social media content sharing

[Anonymous]

I have a 5th grade boy and just got an email from his school saying several students had been using personal devices for posting unkind content on tiktok with other students and that the families involved had been talked to. Well of course Im curious so do some clicking and find a "5th grade ship or dip" page with names of students posted and people commenting if they should be a couple or not. My son's name was listed on one of them.

My son does not have a device nor access to tik tok. I am wondering if this is something I should share with him and show him or not? I dont know the full context but my instinct is that he was listed as an insult or joke like in a "haha eww no i wouldn't date him" way. I cant decide if it would cause more harm to show him or if it's better that he knows what people are talking about.

My thought is to not show or talk about it to him because I think the school will have the students delete the content and hopefully it will blow over. But I dont want it to be more awkward for him if he isn't aware.

It was a page with his name and a girls name and then a few comments like "dip" "total dip" etc. I dont know anything about the girl listed.

What do you think?

[Anonymous]

You should not tell him. What would telling him accomplish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should not tell him. What would telling him accomplish?

Awareness of what others are joking about and potentially not being clueless in a way that would make him the butt of another joke? I'm not sure.

[Anonymous]

Does dad/other parent know.
Maybe have a convo on appropriate behavior & social media

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine there's any way hearing it from Mom will be better. Not telling him gives him the chance to never know.

I'm my kids' experience, there were some kids really into the phone stuff in late elementary and middle school. They hung out with each other. The other kids didn't care as much.

[Anonymous]

Don't tell him.

[Anonymous]

God people are such terrible parents. Sorry OP.

I wouldn't tell him.

[Anonymous]

Chances are someone at school already told him, or will eventually tell him—if not a friend giving him a heads-up, then someone teasing him about it.

I'd talk with him in general about the message from the school, ask him if he's heard anything about it, and vaguely talk about how hurtful these things can be. If he confides in you, then you can talk about it more specifically.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the gut check here. I will not share but will mention the email in general. -OP