It’s not often someone tells you in person, “Great comment on Facebook!”

I doubt you got a high-five you for your last “Like” either.

Yet more situations are beginning to start online and continue into the real world. Especially for teens. Recently, a Pew Study came out that revealed 58% of teens said that Facebook has made them closer to others. But there’s also a negative side to this as well; 25% of teens have had a face-to-face confrontation over an issue that began online.

The lines between reality and digital are becoming more and more blurred. For the 93% of teens who have Facebook, it’s a world that they’re left to pioneer themselves. Norms and digital morals are constantly being created, formulated and redefined. No doubt, that 25% will increase with time.

We need to consider that what happens online is a serious reality to teens. Similar to a recreational basketball championship, it might not be that serious to us, but it is to them. We need to know that for better or worse, what’s happening online is physically affecting our students emotions, actions, and lives.