Adolescents and Social Networking Technology. United States General Omar Bradley: “If we continue...
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Transcript of Adolescents and Social Networking Technology. United States General Omar Bradley: “If we continue...
Adolescents and Social Networking
Technology
United States General Omar Bradley:
“If we continue to develop our technology without
wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be
our executioner…”
The Information Age Accessibility of information is remarkable However, the Internet contains both
information that should and should not be exposed
Internet cafes, libraries, and cheap production of computers make the World Wide Web affordable to a majority of families
School-aged Children and the Internet
AOL, Instant Messaging, E-mail, MySpace and Facebook are used by adolescents.
Substitute for old ways of gossiping and bullying
Hobbies not related to the Internet are being ignored
Critical Question to Consider:
“How can we as educators prevent technology like MySpace and
Facebook from becoming a detriment to our students’ healthy growth without ourselves becoming an accomplice to
this crime?”
MySpace Started in 2003 as a site for new musicians 4th most visited site on the Internet In 2005 Rupert Murdoch’s News
Corporation bought MySpace for $580 million
Must be at least 14-years-old to use, but no verification for children is used
Facebook Originally created for college students Since September 2005, over 900,000 high
school students have joined Anyone with any kind of e-mail address can
now have an account However, strict privacy features can be
used if the member so wishes
The Problems… Students are left vulnerable to stalkers,
predators, enemies, and other unwanted guests when they do not regulate the amount of information put on their page and who is allowed to see it.
Posing as people to bully or ridicule Promotes students’ risky behavior (drinking,
sex, and smoking)
Attempts at control… Warnings are posted on the sites and their
employees monitor all members and the content of their pages
Parents and authority figures half-heartedly regulate and monitor student use of the Internet
What does the research say? Fairly new topics and issues in society Being monitored by television news
programs, magazines, and newspapers MySpace and Facebook have both
negative and positive aspects
Positive uses of these sites… Free space in which adolescents can
express themselves in order to satisfy their desire to be heard
Availability of an array of activities Way to connect to people in new ways to
maintain less intense relationship over distance and time
Use the sites to rally people for similar interests and causes
MySpace and Facebook as addictive drugs
Students spend an average of one to four hours at a time on these sites.
Students are not budgeting their time. 14-year-old Shannon Shartzer of Niceville, FL:
“You can’t go one day without someone talking about or asking about MySpace. It’s a little out of hand. I don’t know a person who doesn’t have one.”
Students make the sites their first and last activities of their days
Exposure of personal information…
Students lack discretion They desire privacy from their controlling parents
and other adults However, their lives are open books to anyone on
the World Wide Web 7 teenage girls from Middletown, CT, contacted
the police in the course of just five weeks in order to report cases of sexual assault by men they met through MySpace “This Web site is a sexual predator’s dream and a
parent’s worst nightmare.”
Connections to crimes…
These sites hold clues in the investigations of crimes ranging from statutory rape and molestation to murder.
No organization or agency keeps comprehensive statistics on the number of crimes against children connected with the Internet.
Los Angeles detective Paul Bishop claims that “a case that doesn’t have a connection to the Internet is rare.”
Students are being exposed to too many adult situations too soon.
Age of technology is ruining the age of innocence.
Sites used to target peers/teachers
Sites used to bully, stalk, and ridicule Remarks made can be accessible to the entire
student body Creation of fake pages to defame In April 2006, a 18-year-old high school senior
was arrested after he threatened to blow up his private school on his MySpace page
Another student in Costa Mesa, California, faces expulsion for allegedly posting graphic threats against a classmate on MySpace
Methods of research… Watchful eye on television news programs, news
magazines, and newspapers Speaking with peers and colleagues and their
experiences with children and the Internet Observations at my student teaching site Interview with Mrs. Kelly Mattis a vice-principal at
Steinert High School in Hamilton
What we can do as educators… Have an ethical responsibility Regulate the sites within the schools Educate students about the dangers that may
occur when discretion is not used Let students know that technology can be asset Respect students’ First Amendment rights of free
speech However, let them know that action must be taken
when the information they post puts them and their fellow classmates at risk
Target areas of research Open-minded approach to both the positive and
negative aspects of these sites Four major focal points:
MySpace and Facebook as positive teenage outlets The sites as replacements of human interaction and enriching
arrays of activities The sites as arenas for predators and the release of too much
information The sites as breeding grounds of hate among student peers
Measures too drastic… Computer filtering systems that are so extensive that they
block both students and teachers from essential websites used for research
Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta made headlines when it told students that they could face suspension for using MySpace at home or any off-campus location
Administrators who are in a hurry do not see that they are eliminating the use of the Internet as a teaching tool
They are also taking away an activity that students use to express their creativity
Educators, Parents, Local Authorities: Unite! Local police departments can work with
districts to educate parents about the dangers of the Internet
Despite disclaimers on the websites, many parents are ignorant to the threat in cyberspace
It should be a district initiative to educate teachers, parents, and students in order to create a large support network that would help ensure safer Internet environments for our children
Victims become advocates… Eric Mandel, the director of a Mar Vista middle school in
California, became aware of MySpace when one of the students let him know that he saw his profile on the site
Mandel had never visited the site. When exploring the phony site, he found that students
listed their school affiliation Sent a letter home to parents warning them that their
children’s profiles contained information that left them vulnerable to predators
Parents were given instructions in how they can monitor their children without taking away their outlets of creativity
Policies, policies, policies! Administrators must
establish firm and consistent regulations
First Amendment rights apply in private, not public schools.
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District: schools can limit student free speech when it “materially disrupts class work or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others.”
A dose of reality… Mrs. Kelly Mattis, vice-principal at Steinert High School, had
been assigned to enforce school policies regarding sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com
Disheartening when items that were designed to enhance communication and education are now causing problems for schools on all levels.
“Kids thrive on shock value; so documenting cruel, vulgar, or troublesome acts for show are of huge interest.”
Steinert’s policy: any information obtained from a student’s site that involves the school or its members can be used against them and can result in a nine-day suspension.
A few more practices to use… MySpace classes for students and parents Letters sent home Question and answer forums in the community Promote social networking by creating school spirit events State all rules and regulations about these sites in the
student handbook Invited guest speakers to address current issues facing
adolescents on the Internet Teach tips to encourage wise usage of the sites Promote open class discussion when negative events
involving MySpace or Facebook arise in the school.
My Personal and Professional Growth
Social networking websites have a huge impact on schools
These sites influence the social interactions of an entire generation of school-aged children.
When you do not understand a new issue among adolescents, do not ignore it. Educate yourself!
Guiding my students… Become savvy with the sites
in order to guide the students in how to best navigate the webpages
Promote their use of writing in blogs, but in password-protected, private websites
Read the latest literature on students and technology
Implement after-school programs for students and parents
In conclusion… When you attempt to take something of
value away from teenagers, they only want it more.
Instead, as a teacher, I must educate them on the proper uses of social networks so that they may learn to navigate this treasured resource that indeed does have the possibility of improving their social growth.