Schools and Technology Responsibility

The sexting report(s) sadly was not a shock to me. Unfortunately, I was all too familiar with the story on Megan Meier. Months ago I heard about the tragedy through passing words. It was the type of gossip you hear and wish you didn’t. I looked up the details because I was interested and horrified that an adult could do something so disturbing through MySpace and ruin the life of a 13 year old girl. This was the first and only instance I had ever heard about involving suicide having to do with a teenager and technology abuse. I remember hearing bits and pieces of the story and being so distraught that if I did not look up the entire story, I would just be disappointed in myself for not realizing how important and serious internet chatting could really be. You always were told by your parents to be careful who you talk to, do not talk to anyone you do not already know through school or work, and never give away any of your personal information.
I never heard of another instance of the teen suicides, especially due to “sexting,” until I read/watched the videos on Hope Witsell and Jesse Logan. It is such a disappointment that the lives of these girls have been taken so young due to a mistake. I could never fathom this happening to anyone I know but until you even read about it you cannot think about it happening at all. I had to agree with the report when they said that these teens send these pictures without realizing the long term effects. They do not think that their friends, family, peers, teachers, administrators, colleges, jobs/bosses will ever see or hear about “the picture(s).” It is really sad to even think about. A thirteen year old girl is just that, a girl. She doesn’t understand how serious nudity in today’s day and age could be especially through the use of technology. Almost anyone could take a photo of one person and photo shop a body of another on it and send it around. It is incredibly disgusting the type of world we live in that this sexting is going on and these teens do not understand what they are provoking or how to deal with it.
As for schools having responsibility, this is a tricky matter. As stated in the Schools, States Review Cell Phone Bans article, there are pros and cons to letting students even carry a cell phone on their persons. It is understandable after what has been happening in the school systems over the last 20 years with school shootings and such violence that parents would want their children to have a cell phone on them in case they need to contact them. Isn’t that a parent’s right to be able to talk to their child? At the same token, cell phones are easily a distraction in the classroom either buzzing or beeping and the constant clicking of texting while a teacher is trying to educate. I remember the only reason my parents allowed me to get a cell phone was because I was constantly staying after school for clubs and sports and they wanted to know where I was; it was more convenient to use a cell phone everyday rather than call from a payphone.
Not only is cell phone use important and should not be abused but also website and online social networking should be taken very seriously. Too many kids today have personal information up on the internet for anyone to see. Of course parents warn their children about the consequences but how many really truly monitor their child’s facebook or myspace? I can’t tell you how many profile pictures I have seen on these websites were girls are dressed scantily clad and boys aren’t wearing shirts. Is that really appropriate? If they are looking for a job, do you think they are the ones to get hired? And if they are so lucky as to get hired, do you think they hold that job expressing behavior like that for the entire world to see? I think not. I think schools should really stress the severity of these sites because kids think that only their friends see what they write or send. Until something serious happens to them or someone they know, they rarely hear about an instance in which so and so had to change their phone number or move because they were being stalked due to posting too much personal information on facebook.
I think that schools should be held responsible for teaching students certain technology responsibility. In this day and age students should be familiarized with what is really going on in their society and the world they live in. They should be educated on these cases of the teen girls and what has happened to them because of sending so little as a picture. I am sure many teens are “guilty” of sexting so if the issue is brought up in schools, it could be easier to talk about if more know about it. We are taught how to use computers and certain computer programs in schools. Maybe a course on computer safety wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Children are vulnerable and easily distracted. If you tell them not to do something, they could either forget and do it or just ignore you all together and do it. I feel if schools let students know about these types of suicide stories or the laws behind sexting, students will be afraid to do it and won’t chance getting caught. Not only did these girls send a nude/semi nude picture of themselves, they could also be the ones getting in trouble even if just sending it once. Once a message/picture like that is sent, it is almost immediately that it is forwarded to a friend of the receiver. That’s how kids are. Schools should get involved if it becomes clear that sexting if affecting a student in the school. Apparently, before Hope’s death, a guidance counselor knew she was cutting/self mutilating her. How can a school know something like that is happening and not inform the parents of the child? Hope was only thirteen, she was still considered a child; don’t adults need to be told about those types of things by law? Also, the law states that the one who sends the picture could be charged as having child pornography and could have to register as a sexual offender. I am pretty sure that recently there was a case in Montclair that a teen girl send nude pictures of herself to a boy and once the pictures got out, the school knew, kids knew, and her family and friends knew. Eventually law officials were informed and the girl responsible for taking and sending the pictures had to register as a sex offender. I think it is a terrible thing that is happening in our society but if taught or learned about in schools than I feel students would hesitate to send a picture and maybe rethink what the long term consequences could be.
Schools have tried to ban cell phones and pagers but I feel this will never fully work again. Our world is too technology savvy and something new is always being invented. With new inventions comes great interest which entails leads to people wanted to buy and have. Teens are always going to be among these consumers that want what the next kid has only better. Schools should be up to date with the knowledge of technologies and aware of how students could be using such tools. Students spend about 7 hours a day 5 days a week in a school. I think it is safe to say that schools have a major impact on a students’ social life and how they use their time. Of course every student could not be as closely monitored as most parents would like but if there was a way to regulate cell phone use and how students use them, than I think it could be really helpful to the student in the long term. As a twenty one year old who is on her way to become a teacher, I think that it is incredibly important for students to understand the consequences of their actions before they even commit the action. Knowledge is power and I think if we educate these students to understand the severity of what is going on in their own cell phones and what could happen because of it, then I think we could make at least some sort of dent in their thought process before they do something that has such negative and destructive consequences.