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One of the strongest concerns I have when it comes to WEB safety is concerning privacy and online presence. From my own perspective, I think the importance of privacy and protecting it is something that has been eroding since the advent of social media. I am not a big Facebook user, and I sometimes wonder what my purpose is on Twitter. So perhaps my concerns over privacy are overblown since I really do not fully embrace or appreciate social media.
However, I have also noticed this concern with other educators at my school. They are troubled by what they hear and see on the Internet. Students posting inappropriate photos of themselves or each other and making rash and rude comments.
When I asked my grade 12 students in Media Studies 120 if they ever gave any consideration to prospective employers checking out their Twitter or Facebook pages, they were surprised; a rather heated discussion ensued. I told them that sometimes people are asked in interviews to provide their Facebook password. This resulted in an even greater heated discussion. Suddenly, privacy was important to them.
The irony of social media is that a lot of people who participate in it like the idea of others knowing what they do or what they think, but then they are suddenly shocked that anyone would care enough to actually check out what they do or what they think.
Privacy is a very complex and complicated notion made even more confusing and overwhelming with the Internet. With international boundaries and Internet servers stationed all over the globe, many organizations and businesses are concerned with what can be done with their data and whether it infringes on their rights back home. Even in our own school district we have been dealing with privacy issues because we are using a certain software product, and the data is stored on servers in the United States. This forced us to code student names, since how online data can be assessed by the United States government violates the privacy rights of Canadian citizens.
There is the temptation for educators to make these observations and suggest that, really, what can they do? These privacy issues are concerns that everyone is grappling with across developed countries. Additionally, we have filters at school and, in regard to computer use, students cannot even access most social media sites during class time. But the reality is that most students are accessing social media all the time with smartphones. Whether educators want to admit it or not, it is happening a lot right in their own classrooms.
We cannot solve the world's problems concerning data storage and privacy rights, but we can at least make students more aware of the issues and help them to think twice about what they are posting on their social media profiles. We can also make them aware of the commercialization of the Internet and how much of what they do is tracked, and give them opportunities to think critically about what are the actual objectives of these sites that give so much free space for people to talk about themselves and about each other.
Students are going to use social media, and I think we have to get away from the idea that social media is evil. We can brand anything the way we want, but we cannot deny that there are benefits and positive spin-offs to using social media. It can be a force for good; it does give people a dynamic medium for their causes. That in itself can be very empowering. As educators, we can provide students with examples of how sites like Facebook and Twitter have been used for the good of society.
By exposing students to the positive examples and the possibilities of what they could do with the Internet, we are also bringing in other concerns of the negative, such as cyber bullying and how students can contribute either positively or negatively with their online presence.
Another concern that I think is paramount is how easily young people can be exposed to online pornographic material. According to Mediasmarts.ca, by the age of twelve, "nearly half of Canadian adolescents have encountered online pornography, usually by accident." Last semester my media studies class and I had the opportunity to view CBC's Doc Zone episode on Sext up Kids. One focus of this documentary was new evidence that indicates that "teenage exposure to aggressive hard-core pornography is changing the way boys perceive relationships." An educator who was interviewed in the documentary feels that it is an issue that is not discussed enough with teenagers. He sees it as the elephant in the room that nobody wants to address.
It would appear that teenagers agree with his observation. According to www.bewebaware.ca, "kids say that efforts should be made to teach them...decision-making skills that help them make good choices and avoid inappropriate material online."
Some of the observations my own students made were also interesting. Playing the devil's advocate, I asked them if the documentary was sensationalizing the idea that girls are sexualized at a younger age. Most of the female students (and some male students) strongly disagreed, indicating that they themselves, at the young age of 17 and 18, cannot get over how clothing has changed and become more sexualized for girls as young as six and seven years old.
There are many opportunities for educators to discuss these issues with students, particularly in middle and high school. However, while I think most educators are willing to accept the challenge of teaching media and Internet literacy, many may be uncomfortable in dealing with issues such as sexualization and pornography. It would be beneficial for educators to have the opportunity to attend professional development sessions where they can learn ways to approach these subjects with students and devise strategies so they are comfortable in having discussions in their classrooms.
I think this may apply to many Internet safety issues. Some teachers are active Internet users while others may not be. Having opportunities to bounce around ideas and approaches while sharing resources and experiences would greatly benefit the educator and, in the turn, the student.
I think we should also leave some of the thinking and planning to our students, particularly at the higher grade levels, where we can present information on issues of WEB safety and then challenge them to come up with ways to create awareness and engage their peers or younger students. I have the privilege of teaching at a kindergarten to grade 12 school. Students can create awareness messages for an authentic audience. They can research some of the concerns around Internet safety for a particular age group, decide on an awareness campaign and implement it.
Filters, blocks and monitoring students are possible ways to improve Internet safety. But involving students in the discussion, providing them with relevant information, encouraging them to think critically about their own Internet use and allowing them the opportunity to research and share what they learned with others can help ensure that, with the advancement of mobile technology and personal devices, when students are not surrounded by filters, blocks or monitors, they can still make the right choices when it comes to Internet safety.
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