The class discussion on internet safety really got me thinking about a lot of things that students and even adults are not thinking about when they are using technology. I have seen some teenager’s pages on MySpace. Not only am I shocked by their pictures, but also their “theme song” that plays when you visit the page. I told a 15 year old girl ,that was looking at her Myspace page at my house, that I did not see how her leaning against a locker, in a ” *butt shot” pose would lead to her meeting people who want to know what type of person she really is.
*For those of you who are not familiar with this pose… this is where you rest your hand on a wall/locker ,look alluringly over your shoulder with your other hand on your hip and stick out your butt…I have also seen this pose in a group setting!
If I was a teenage boy, or the creepy 50 year old man posing as a teen,I would think that she likes to show off her butt and that she will do what her explicit “theme song” says she would be willing to do. I also asked this girl if her mother had seen her page. She rolled her eyes said “yeah” which sounded more like “duh” and scrolled down the page to proudly show me a picture of her mother doing the same pose. All I could do was shake my head. What can I tell her when her mother thinks this is acceptable ?
The most disturbing thought is that these images are out there for everyone in the world to see, share and store if they want to, for future use ,especially if they are your frenemies. I would love to see Internet/technology safety become a mandatory workshop that our students have to take…along with a parent because obviously, If you watch the news ,it is not only children who are getting into trouble with technology.
I am not saying that technology is the root of all evil. I will be the first person to admit that it definitely makes my life a lot easier… I’m just saying that we are long past the time when we believed that what we share with one person will stay with that person.If we always think the whole world is watching, I think we would limit what we do and say. I think the saying ” The world is your stage” aptly refers to the use and abuse of technology.
✔ You are right, Alicia. It can all be used well or abused. The critical idea with kids here is that they are not being taught. They are being blocked and ignored. They are in the driver’s seat, and THAT is scary. We need to show them how to use these new cultural tools wisely, ethically, and powerfully. We need to teach them the impact of poor decisions and show them the benefits of healthy, intelligent ones. We need to help then see their futures the way they want them to be. We need to help them understand the consequences of their impulsive and reckless “digital footprints”. We need to empower them to be the best and the brightest. None of these is simple or easy. But if we can’t show them how to be successful and live healthy lives ourselves, then the bus in out of control, indeed.
A couple days ago, I was in my car waiting at a red light. I looked at the next lane, and there was a very pretty girl doing the same. I was immediately interested. Where does she work? Does she go to school? Does she have a boyfriend? What does she do for fun? Will I ever see her again once this light turns green?… then she picked her nose.
To me, the internet is very much like a car. It takes us where we need to go, but it is in no way isolated. We feel a sense of security when we are in it, but we are oblivious to how utterly exposed we are. If we wander off “the road”, there can be any number of consequences. At worst, you could get yourself into the type of situation that follows you for the rest of your life. At best, you might get caught with your finger up your nose.
I think that is hilarious and mortifying…I shudder to think if everyone could see every single embarassing thing I did in my car. I like the car ananogy too. A lot of people probably are more worried about having a car accident than a “technology accident.” There is no insurance or out there that could replace or fix your reputation once “it” is out there.
@Spencer, if the “best” you can imagine is as you portray, then I think you have a dismal view of what is possible… what is desirable… what is real. Life is messy. To be overly cautious is to miss out on the very essence of life and living. I think Shakespeare had a line or two about that – even though plenty of folks died in his plays. Risk-taking and innovation can be dangerous/messy at worst, and extremely rewarding and beneficial at best. Why not shoot for this kind of “best”? Maybe the next girl won’t pick her nose, will roll down her window, and ask you out for coffee
And, having unrealistic expectations about relationships, or innovation, is also problematic. After all, who hasn’t picked their nose or burped in private? We are all human, flaws, mistakes, and all. For certain, that girl didn’t wander off “the road”. She did not post a video of herself picking her nose on YouTube. That would indeed be in bad taste. In the same way, we need to let our students know what is in bad taste and what isn’t; what is acceptable and desirable and what is unacceptable and damaging. We don’t take the car away even thought there is potential danger, temptation, impulse, and fluke accidents. We continue to teach how to drive and how to do it well. (And, online reputation managers are very real and hopefully never needed by most. But they could be considered “insurance” I suppose.)
I’ll have to remember to be more careful when in the car!
(This is the most bizarre analogous discussion I have ever participated in