Dear Parents
SOCIAL MEDIA
I have had very good feedback from parents about last week’s points about the use and control of mobile devices.
Social media or, should I say, the abuse or inappropriate use of it, is a huge concern. On the positive side, it can be a wonderful way to keep in touch easily across the world and country, make arrangements, send out invitations and so forth. But, with young people particularly, it can also be something to occupy oneself with when bored, to show off, collect “friends” in their droves, fight with one another, isolate or insult someone, send inappropriate and very personal photographs, sext and the like. So an innovative and useful communication tool becomes a vehicle that creates the potential for a huge amount of trouble and more and more schools are finding, from Grades 6/7 upwards, that abusive messages or nude photographs and messages of a sexual nature on social media have become the major disciplinary problem in schools. Young people do not believe, or forget frequently, that social media is a public platform, it is not a diary or note to someone else. The two most frequent responses from a boy who has misused social media are, “I know, but I did not think”, or “I did not think he or should would send it on”.
Our boys need to be trained to use social media properly – education and monitoring are everything – by parents and the school. Grade 4s and 5s did enjoy a presentation on Internet activity and protecting oneself online during the 4th term last year and we will be doing an age appropriate presentation by someone working in this field with the older boys. We use Life Orientation to educate around cyber-bullying, self-protection online and use of social media for the older boys. And also any opportunity in assembly. Teachers will also check iPads from time to time and please do so as parents. It is an ongoing process where we have to balance enough education against too much and monitoring with allowing a level of trust.
We do not believe that a boy needs to have a phone or access to social media before Grade 7. He does not need that level of communication or occupation. There are age restrictions around Facebook and WhatsApp and so the decision as to when your son uses these platforms is yours. Some parents allow this from Grade 6. If you monitor usage regularly, you have a chance to train your son in appropriate and safe activity online. Not being on some communication system that you monitor means that you cannot train and advise him on usage. The time for this is in the late Prep and early high school years. I sometimes hear that boys refuse to give their parents their pin codes; this needs to be non-negotiable at this age. Similarly there is no privacy at this age; everything online is public and can so easily go viral.
Emma Sadler, a well known Social Media lawyer, addressing our boys a few years ago, spoke about the four “Ps”. Her advice is:
“Before you press SEND ask yourself – am I happy for the following to see my message or post?”
my Parents
my Principal
the Police
the Public
Every generation has its challenges. But used correctly, social media has enormous potential for connection and communication both commercially and personally, but abused, a recipe for disaster. More and more HR departments check on applicants’ social media profiles before making an appointment. It’s our job to get our boys to believe this.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER |
