As part of its recently updated code of conduct, the Pine Bush Central School District has banned the videotaping of fights. The action came after two particularly ugly incidents occurred a year ago.

In the spring of 2022, two incidents that erupted into full-scale brawls were displayed in videos posted on social media that week. The school violence began as a simple conflict between two students. It escalated when other students became involved on social media.

We’ve seen the ugly side of social media in recent years, among students and so-called adults alike. In Pine Bush, and other places, that ugly side has been displayed in the form of cyber bullying, the deliberate spread of false information and TikTok challenges that encourage vandalism, acts of malice or worse.

Administrators discovered several of these sites that encouraged fighting and encouraged viewers to record and post videos. Pine Bush administrators then reached out to parents to ask them to have a conversation with their child about the negative impact that social media is having on this situation and warning them that simply sharing the videos among friends and family is also promoting this bad behavior.

Now they’ve taken it a step further in the form of an outright ban on the taking and posting of fight videos. Students who violate the code by airing these videos will face disciplinary action.

There are social media platforms that, when used properly, can have an educational value. But more often than not, they can cause more harm than good.