All throughout modern history, teachers and instructors have pressed an important rule deep into a student’s subconscious mind: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. The rule is simple, really. It only requires the listener to proactively practice empathy and moderate their actions. That being said, students in high school–individuals who have hopefully had time to learn some maturity–should have no difficulty following simple instructions that essentially boil down to “be respectful”. Sadly, the truth is much more disappointing.
According to EducationWeek, 80% of teachers reported having received verbal or physical threats from students. A statement from the article claims, “post-pandemic, teaching has gotten more difficult, students are less engaged, and stress levels among teachers, staff, and parents have risen.” The article states that, prior to the pandemic, student disrespect was on a slow rise. During the pandemic, student harassment effectively dropped. In contrast, after students returned to classrooms, student disrespect increased over 20%. An epidemic of student derision is impacting, not just our teachers, but the students themselves.
Children are very observant beings. In fact, their ability to learn and adapt is completely dependent on their observation skills. If a child witnesses someone they trust kind, they are likely to be kind. Consequently, the opposite is also true.
A very large instigator for the rise in negative behavior is social media. Specifically, speaking, the media on social media is becoming more disrespectful towards the word. (Trend Mill) Cynicism of all degrees is increasing among both adults and children who use social media. For adults, that cynicism is to be expected if constrained and discussed maturely. With children, however, there is no filter that withholds snarky or rude comments. Social media only promotes this kind of behavior–for example–Instagram is becoming known for allowing hateful content and propaganda on its platform. (Fortune) When children continue to see cynical or extreme content, they are likely to mirror it. (ClevelandClinic)
If such behavior is not properly disciplined, then these students can go on to become adults with the same hate-filled mindset that tears others down and prioritizes narcissism. Parents need to be aware of the content their child is watching and teachers need to be willing to fight against parental complaints in order to elucidate problems with disrespect. If teachers become placid with obligatory compliance with parents, then nothing is going to be fixed. Parents need to listen to teachers and actually prioritize what content their child views so they do not turn into some egotistic scumbag who thinks they are a big shot. Students of NCHS should also put it up on themselves to practice respect.
Whether it be to someone familiar or someone unknown, respect is always initially deserved. Those who believe respect is not deserved are truly sad individuals.
