Photo courtesy of junior Owen Blackwell

  From making fun of bad parking jobs to catching students “lackin”, Instagram accounts related to students at San Luis Obispo High School have proliferated in the last month.

  “I think it is a form of bullying and public humiliation and would really impact someone’s self esteem,” said junior Madeline Shannon.

  They are created to make fun of people, and some students see them as harmful. 

  Accounts such as @slohs.badparking, @slohs_cringe_couples, @slohsbathroomfeet, @slohs_lackin, @slohschads, @slohs.bathroom.art, and many more have popped up in the last couple of months, and continue to actively post. 

  “They pop up all the time and no I haven’t followed any of them because I don’t want to support them. I think someone probably came up with one, other people saw it, they thought it was funny, and now people are jumping on the bandwagon to make more,” said Shannon.

  However, the people who run these accounts have a different viewpoint. 

  “The Instagram algorithm has suggested [these accounts] to me, and so I followed them for more publicity for my account. People follow them because students get bored (that’s why I made it) or they’re just looking for a laugh and to make other people laugh,” said the anonymous owner of the @slohs_lackin account.

  But some people don’t see this as “just looking for a laugh”.

  “I think they have a negative effect on students. I think it is a form of bullying and public humiliation and would really impact someone’s self esteem. It is also unfair since there is no context given on any of the posts,” said Shannon. 

  The owners of these accounts understand the consequences of this, yet take it more lightheartedly. 

  “Depends on how personal you take stuff. I know if I got caught lackin’ and it was posted on an account like this, I wouldn’t care. Yes, I am aware that people caught lackin’ could get their feelings hurt. But it’s funny to a lot of people, so it is a risk. On the other hand, maybe just don’t get caught lackin’,” said @slohs_lackin. 

  These accounts pose an interesting question. Are they just fun and games, or do they have a harmful impact on students’ well-being? 

  While they may be a form of bullying, there is little students or administration can do. If an anonymous Instagram account posting a picture of you eating in class or your bad parking job severely impacts your self esteem, you are going to have a really hard time when you face actual hardships. 

  It seems as though they are here to stay, so students might as well get over it and learn to laugh at themselves.