Student Safety in a World of Technology ....
Digital Technology
Social networking and the use of digital technology can be a positive influence on people’s lives. Social media platforms can be beneficial in strengthening friendships and relationships, and can help people to feel less lonely and isolated. The use of the internet can be a useful education tool by providing students with a wealth of information (as long as they are taught to selectively process the information they find).
However we are increasingly aware of a variety of problems centred on the community’s use of electronic media and social networking platforms. We have all seen news reports about the impacts nasty and negative comments by so-called ‘trolls’ have on public figures, including AFL footballers. These sorts of reports highlight some of the problems related to the inappropriate use of social media. Certainly schools and our students are not immune from these broader influences, and we are increasingly being asked to deal with the fallout from poor social media use decisions.
LATE NIGHT USE
A national survey carried out in 2014 found that 28% of Australian teenagers are using electronic devices between 10pm and midnight. A further 8% continued this use between midnight to 7am. Obviously this disruption to a healthy sleep pattern is of concern, when medical experts suggest teenagers need between 8 to 10 hours per night. Students cannot expect to concentrate in class and focus on their learning when they are lacking sleep or their sleep has been constantly interrupted. Is your student checking their mobile phone throughout the night or often playing online games into the early hours?
CYBERBULLYING
Another major concern centres on the issue of nasty, hurtful online comments being made by students towards each other – known as ‘cyberbullying’. Statistics vary but some reports suggest that 1 in 5 Australian teenagers have been the victim of cyberbullying. Some would suggest this number is on the low end because many do not report the bullying the have been subjected to. It would seem that when people are not directly communicating face to face they either feel they can say anything (and often claim they were joking) or they can get away with making hurtful comments by hiding behind false accounts or blocked numbers. Cyberbullies need to understand the serious and harmful impacts they can have on the victims of their unthoughtful or malicious comments. They also need to be made aware of the possible legal consequences of such online behaviour.
SEXTING
Equally concerning are reports that Australian teenagers are increasingly engaging in ‘sexting’. Unwisely sending messages and images of a sexual nature to a boyfriend or girlfriend is something more and more teenagers are doing. Serious complications can result from such naive acts, especially when these images and messages are shared widely with others. Unfortunately some teenagers report being pressurised into sending this type of material. Parents and students should understand that the online sharing of such images can create social and personal problems and could even be regarded as an illegal act.
FRIENDING
The area of uncontrolled online ‘friending’ has also been highlighted as a problem in our community. Adding ‘friends’ that your teenager really doesn’t know well or people they have never met is fraught with danger. Situations arise where people create false online profiles for mischievous purposes and use these to develop online friendships with unsuspecting teenagers.
It is highly unlikely (and unrealistic) in this day and age that students will give up their different forms of digital technology – what we need to do as a parents and educators is to help them to understand the potential dangers and to support them to use their phones and computers in a positive and beneficial way. Part of this parental support is to set clear rules and boundaries about their online behaviour. These need to be discussed with your teenager and a clear understanding reached regarding your expectations and the possible consequences of not meeting them.
Parents also need to understand they have a roll in monitoring what their teenager is doing online. We are not suggesting you check every communication they make or that you constantly monitor their online activities, but part of allowing them access to the technology is to support, check and guide their use. Do you know what your child is saying online, looking at on the internet and who they are actually communicating with?
An ongoing responsibility of schools is to continue to work with our families to develop students and parents who are fully aware of the dangers involved in unguided and unrestricted use of social media and digital technology in general. At Fairhills we are consistently providing students with messages about safe use of technology and appropriate online behaviour. The well-being team and home group teachers continue to deliver educational activities which aim to improve our student’s knowledge and understanding of these issues. The Education Department is aware of the variety of problems around social networking and digital technology and has produced a number of supporting documents for parents and families to use in gaining a better understanding. The following links provide some ideas on how to better use social media for parents and families.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/advicecybersafe.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/safety/groups/teens/
Paul Donaldson
Acting Principal