When I was in school the coveted spot on the bus was always the way back, and I can tell you from personal experience that things haven't changed much since then. I suppose it's developmentally appropriate for some adolescents to try and get as far away from the presence of authority as possible, but these days, when I'm riding the bus? The authority is in the back.
That's how it was this afternoon on the hour-long ride back to school from our end-of-the-year field trip destination. The field trip itself had been a mixed experience; some parts of it were better than others, but in general the kids around me were happily settled in with their phones as we pulled out of the marina.
"To be honest," I heard the girl in front of me say, "you're a little weird."
"To be honest," said the girl next to her, "you're sort of a b--"
"Hey now!" I interrupted. Leaning over the seat I could see they were not talking to each other, but rather to a third girl's phone. "What are you doing?" I asked them.
"Oh," answered the first girl, "it's a joke! He knows we're kidding." She noted my raised eyebrows. "OK! We'll erase it and only say nice things. " She handed the phone back to its owner.
That girl framed her face on the screen and punched the red button. "To be honest," she said, "you're nice, but we've faded."
"To be honest," I said, "I don't want you playing that game anymore."
"It's not a game," I was informed. "It's an Instagram thing."
"Fine," I replied. "Don't do it."
"But we have faded," she said. "We're not as close as we were."
"And you want to put that on Instagram?" I asked. "That doesn't seem very nice."
"OK!" Yet another student joined the conversation. "We will only say nice things. Promise!"
"Like what?" I inquired.
She shrugged. "Like, 'You're pretty'!"
"Why does it have to be about someone's looks?" I asked. "Why not, 'You're a good friend' or 'You're really smart' or 'I like spending time with you, because you're funny'?"
They were unconvinced. "No one says those things!"
"To be honest," I answered, "maybe they should!"
That's how it was this afternoon on the hour-long ride back to school from our end-of-the-year field trip destination. The field trip itself had been a mixed experience; some parts of it were better than others, but in general the kids around me were happily settled in with their phones as we pulled out of the marina.
"To be honest," I heard the girl in front of me say, "you're a little weird."
"To be honest," said the girl next to her, "you're sort of a b--"
"Hey now!" I interrupted. Leaning over the seat I could see they were not talking to each other, but rather to a third girl's phone. "What are you doing?" I asked them.
"Oh," answered the first girl, "it's a joke! He knows we're kidding." She noted my raised eyebrows. "OK! We'll erase it and only say nice things. " She handed the phone back to its owner.
That girl framed her face on the screen and punched the red button. "To be honest," she said, "you're nice, but we've faded."
"To be honest," I said, "I don't want you playing that game anymore."
"It's not a game," I was informed. "It's an Instagram thing."
"Fine," I replied. "Don't do it."
"But we have faded," she said. "We're not as close as we were."
"And you want to put that on Instagram?" I asked. "That doesn't seem very nice."
"OK!" Yet another student joined the conversation. "We will only say nice things. Promise!"
"Like what?" I inquired.
She shrugged. "Like, 'You're pretty'!"
"Why does it have to be about someone's looks?" I asked. "Why not, 'You're a good friend' or 'You're really smart' or 'I like spending time with you, because you're funny'?"
They were unconvinced. "No one says those things!"
"To be honest," I answered, "maybe they should!"
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