Cellular Phones = Handheld Computers: Parents Beware!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to read over state legislation that is proposed to limit bullying in schools. It is apparent that this law has been drafted in reaction to a recent tragedy in which a student who was being harassed by her peers made a drastic decision to take her own life. The legislation will offer school administrators increased flexibility in taking steps to eliminate bullying in schools while at the same time mandate that students be educated about these negative peer interactions.

In the wake of the tragedy that has driven this legislation, administrators all over Massachusetts and in many other states have been taking steps to ensure that their schools are free of the types of student behaviors that brought about this event. More specifically, my fellow Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, Counselors, and Technology Directors have focused in on “Cyber Bullying,” what it is, and when and where it takes place.
It is not that we didn’t know about “Cyber Bullying” at Mahar. Each year we have guest presentations for our students that pertain to their behavior on the Internet and next month we will have a presentation for parents. We have known for a long time that just as the Internet provides a new method of communication for everybody, it also provides users with the idea that their one-way communications can remain anonymous. We spend a lot of time informing students that this is not so. Further, we have other concerns about students’ safety on the Internet because of the potential for them to be endangered by the predatory behaviors of some, identity theft, and other outright scams.

We thought that the aforementioned feared activities could not take place in school because we have such an elaborate technology system in place that simply will not allow it. In school, every move that a student makes on the Internet is monitored, and every word that is typed can be recorded. These filters are in place because of laws that exist to help us protect our students. But what I have learned recently is very important information, not only for teachers and administrators, but for parents as well.

When I was a child the Atari, the Apple II, and the Commodore 64 dominated the industry. There was no Internet and cellular phone calls were reserved for those in the military or those who were filthy rich. Today, the cellular phone is not just a phone – rather, cellular phones are handheld computers. A student who has a phone with a data connection can do anything that can be done on a computer, and this fact is one that needs the careful scrutiny of parents.

Those parents who are proactive and put surf controls on the home computer, limit time on the Internet for their children, and take other steps such as having the home PC in plain view might not be doing enough to protect their children from the dangers that exist on the “Net.” Even with all of the controls that are available, students can still use their phones – sometimes right in front of their parents and teachers to connect to the net and communicate with others. A student appears to be checking the time might be on Facebook, MySpace, sending a text, and/or so much more.