Internet Safety

Internet Safety

Having two teenage daughters, social media is very much a part of our lives.  Both of them have Facebook accounts and would probably have more of others (Twitter, MySpace) if I’d allow it.  The problem is I don’t have enough time to monitor what they are posting, what others are posting on their walls, who is “friending” them, and so forth. Admittedly, I have “friended” some of their closest friends so that I can at least be aware of what is going on in their lives.  I’m sure it goes without saying that some of their posts are inappropriate; I wonder to myself why the parents aren’t paying closer attention.  I doubt that my daughters are innocent, I am not that naive but at least they have the sense to not broadcast bad choices on the internet.  As a parent and an educator, we need to explicitly tell children/students/teens what is acceptable and what is not. 

I have repeatedly warned them that whatever they put on cyberspace will follow them for the rest of their lives.  We have talked about young stars that have some sort of naked picture or video come out after they have become famous, about how future employers may not hire people with digital histories that are unfavorable, and on and on because I want them to understand the severity of potential consequences.  I tell them to keep in mind that their grandparents are on Facebook, the rule is to not to post anything that they wouldn't be able to say to their faces.  I’m sure teachers go to the same lengths but I wonder how much of it sinks in especially when I see fourteen year olds posting pictures of themselves smoking pot, explicit language, or provocative pictures.  One friend in particular was close to our family but has since drifted away.  My daughter explained that she is 'just not in to' the same things anymore and she is too busy for her drama.  While I am glad that my daughter has chosen more wisely, I feel sad for her friend.  I've tried talking to my daughter about how it bothers me.  She nodded, saying she felt compelled to help her too.  She has tried to warn her but the friend’s comment was that her parents don’t care what she does.  


This article has safety tips for children and teens but is designed for parents with audio:  Internet Safety.  It also has a Spanish translation so I'll be able to use for many of the families of my ELL students as I begin to incorporate more technology.  It has been my experience that some families fear the internet so my friend and I have designed a Wiki page for them to find my information relevant to the education of their children.  

I think having similar conversations need to occur in classrooms in conjunction with monitoring students’ blogs/posts/etc.  Teachers may find examples of famous teen idols that have had their reputations ruined because of something exposed in the digital media.  Likewise, people (not just children) twitter without thinking about the consequences of their actions.  You can discuss how tweets have been hurtful to others or groups of others.  No matter how many times that person apologizes, that statement is out there.  People are free to judge accordingly.  Perhaps, these types of examples will make it more “real” to students that feel invincible or simply lack the understanding of the potential dangers and consequences of their actions.

References

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.