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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be a bit freaked out? Twitter related

27 replies

PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:22

I'm a teacher and am on twitter. I follow lots of education bloggers and other teachers, as well as the usual bbc news feed etc. I haven't kept my tweets private as I want to engage in dialogue with other teachers and educationalists, so I am careful what I say on there.

I expect you all know about the 13 year old girl who wrote an open letter to Michael Gove in regard to the proposed removal of Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird from the syllabus? It was being retweeted over and over. I retweeted it and tweeted the girl (she tweets under the name Charli) saying 'I'm an English teacher and you would be an awesome student.' Then I followed her, as she fits my criteria (education blogger). She also favourited my tweet to her.

Since then I seem to have acquired about 6 new followers. They are all boys aged 15 - 18, not my own students but of a similar age, and it's freaking me out slightly. Why would these boys want to follow me? Is it something I should worry about from a child protection point of view? Was I wrong to follow Charli , since although she is engaged with the issues I am interested in, she's a 13 year old schoolgirl?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 09/06/2014 07:25

Just block the boys, you don't have to let people follow you.

They may even be spam. When I first signed up to twitter I immediately got 6 people following me who were teenage girls from the US, some in their underwear in their profile pics.

They were just bots, not real people.

ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen · 09/06/2014 07:27

If you adjust your Twitter account privacy, then people can still read your tweets; but when someone tries to follow you, they need to wait for your approval first.

Sorry about the hit-and-miss punctuation; I've only just woken up.

ilovesooty · 09/06/2014 07:27

I think it was unwise to follow a 13 year old.

I'd address this pretty quickly even if it means closing and reinstating your account.

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:28

Ok thanks, I will block the boys and unfollow Charli.

I didn't know that about the privacy settings- thanks.

OP posts:
fuckinglondonballs · 09/06/2014 07:32

Any weirder than an adult teacher wanting to follow a 13 year old girl?

It's Twitter, people follow strangers. It's more fun when you follow randoms, you can always unfollow later if they're of no interest. Am surprised you have 'criteria'!

But as above you can always protect your tweets, in settings.

fuckinglondonballs · 09/06/2014 07:34

Oh and YABU to be 'freaked out' esp because your reasoning is 'because they're boys'.

Finola1step · 09/06/2014 07:34

As a fellow teacher, I think it is wise to have a general no links with pupils, parents, under 18s on any social network.

Some may see this as extreme but I don't. Have gone as far as not having good friends on FB because their dc happen to be at the school in which I work.

Have heard of too many situations were teachers and TAs have been hauled over the coals for comments made by followers / friends that have been deemed to be inappropriate.

Just block the new followers and stop following the girl blogger.

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:36

fucking I have criteria precisely because I am a teacher and I need to be careful. Surely everyone does? I wouldn't follow footballers, for example, because football doesn't interest me. There is nothing 'weird' about me, but thanks for your input.

OP posts:
Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:38

It's not because they're boys (as in males) but because they're boys (as in student age).

Thanks Finola- I have already blocked all the new followers and unfollowed the blogger.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 09/06/2014 07:39

I was going to say similar to finola.

As a youth worker we have always been told not to have anything to do with under 18s on social media and I know many teachers who have been told the same.

whynowblowwind · 09/06/2014 07:40

Isn't twitter meant to be for fun?

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:40

Thanks. I have just looked at my twitter and the only under 18 I had on there (my DSD) is now 19, so all is OK! Grin

OP posts:
Hissy · 09/06/2014 07:41

Yes but why are 13yo boys following you any more worrying than a 13yo girl? Really?

MY DS will be a 13yo boy in a few years, if a teacher is this gender-critical/sexist, what possible hope does he have in life?

Have a strong word with yourself.

Hissy · 09/06/2014 07:42

Cross post, but still, you've got double standards here, and that's still VERY wrong.

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:42

I think you're misunderstanding me. There is nothing wrong with boys as opposed to girls. The issue is that the girl is an education blogger whereas the boys are just random teenagers. I mentioned that they were all boys just as a descriptor.

OP posts:
jaynebxl · 09/06/2014 07:43

I wouldn't care who followed me on twitter but then I never put anything personal on there.

ilovesooty · 09/06/2014 07:44

I use Twitter for business and to network with fellow professionals as well as to follow the news.

I use Facebook for fun. Because my Twitter account is open I'm very careful how I use it.

whynowblowwind · 09/06/2014 07:44

Hissy I think it's their age.

Kids just like having a lot of followers or friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like. My 7 year old set up a Facebook account once without my knowledge and had loads of friend requests from kids who didn't know him!

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:44

The key point was their age- hence why I said 'boys'. If they had been if both genders I would have said 'boys and girls' to differentiate from 'men and women'.

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whynowblowwind · 09/06/2014 07:45

I suppose that's what I'm wondering ilovesooty, it sounds like the OP is using twitter as a combination of work and fun? I don't know though. I'd be inclined to have a work one and a "fun" one to avoid further freaking out instances.

Original poster
PollyCazaletWannabe · 09/06/2014 07:46

I use it mainly for work I guess, and Facebook for fun.

OP posts:
fuckinglondonballs · 09/06/2014 07:50

Very welcome for the input! This is AIBU after all, and not the staffroom or whatever.

stripedtortoise · 09/06/2014 07:57

As a teacher there is no way you should have followed a 13 year old girl IMO. But there we are. Just unfollow and block the others. Then protect your tweets - as PP has said you can still engage in conversation but people must request and be approved by you to follow you.

PrincessBabyCat · 09/06/2014 09:11

I don't see why someone following you on twitter would be bad? They'd just be reading your tweets it's not like you have to communicate with them.

MrsCakesPremonition · 09/06/2014 09:36

I don't understand what risk you think there is in letting them follow you, assuming that your twitter account is used in a sensible way.

By blocking them, you are preventing them from being involved in the debate about education which you seem keen to encourage.

If they aren't interested in the topics you tweet, they will soon unfollow you. If they are genuinely interested, then they might find your tweets informative.

You do not need to follow them in return. I would think twice about following "Charli", it depends how she uses her twitter account (i.e. if it used purely for education related topics or if she also uses it personally).

You do realise that all your tweets are visible to everyone and can be retweeted and copied by anyone anywhere in the world, even if they aren't following you (unless you have a private account).