Should teens be given suspension, or even get expelled for the things they post online? Yes and no.

Teens around the nation are being suspended or even expelled for the photos or comments they post on their social media platforms. There are conflicting opinions as to whether or not schools should be inserting themselves into students’ personal online presence.

Social media is a platform many teens use to connect with their friends and share their life. Schools shouldn’t get involved with students’ socials: it’s their life, not the school’s to dictate. There’s already so much pressure on teens to be posting a perfect life, and to always look good in their pictures by other peers. They should be able to post whatever they want without worrying that their school is monitoring them.

The only reason students should get in trouble is for posting something dangerously offensive. For example, nprnews.com had an article where 10 students who had admission offers to Harvard University got withdrawn after posting offensive memes to a Facebook group chat. Students have their right of speech, but sometimes take it too far and lead them into situations such as these. They can talk about whatever they want on social media, as long as they don’t make it targeted, or violent; then schools can get involved. 

So, the question is if schools should be able to punish students for what they post online. Ultimately, it all depends on how the teens handle situations on social media and the intentions of their posts.