Adolescents, Sexting, Social Networking, and School

by Lynn K. McMullin

         In the mid-1960’s, teachers reported their biggest discipline concerns as chewing gum in class, running in the hallways, and smoking in the bathrooms. Rising hem-lines were also an issue; and I can remember kneeling in the nurse’s office, and if my skirt didn’t touch the floor, Mrs. B. stapling a crepe paper steamer to the hem. In the 1970’s, when I entered my own classroom, teachers were reporting disrespect in the classroom, T-shirts with references to drugs, and public displays of affection (PDA’s) as their major concerns. Times certainly have changed; and this century’s educators are faced with issues no one could have imagined 40 years ago.        
        Among those issues is the far-reaching impact of today’s technologies. With Internet research, what’s a reliable fact? Should cell phones be banned from classrooms? Or, used as instructional tools? Should classroom discussions be extended through blogging? Also, of concern is the impact of social networking on the school environment, especially when negative on-line messages and questionable content spill over into the hallways and lunchrooms. On-line bullying, which takes place off school property and during non-school hours, has become both a worry and a disciplinary quagmire for school administrators, particularly in middle schools.
        Canton is trying to respond with proactive solutions. We developed an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for the Internet several years ago. The Intermediate School held an Internet forum for parents in October; and the Canton Middle School Quality Council, a committee comprised of educators, parents, students, and Principal Joe Scheideler, is studying the impact of electronic communications on the school environment. Their goal is determining how Canton Middle School can best help parents and students navigate the electronic landscape of cellphones, Facebook, and the Internet. Since providing as much information as possible seems like a step in the right direction, I’d like to answer a few questions here.

What is Social Networking?          
       Online social networking occurs when a website is used to create an on-line community of Internet users who share a common interest through culture, music, age, gender, hobbies, religion, politics, etc. Once you “join” a social networking website, you can begin to socialize with other members by sharing your own information in a “profile,” by reading the profile pages of others, and by contacting them. MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates are examples of social networking sites. Recent research suggests that 93% of American teens (ages 12 to 17) use the Internet (no surprise there!) and that 55% of those teens use social networks (also, no surprise!). The 12 – 13 year-olds are the fastest growing group of social network joiners.         
       Social networking is still too new, however, to have a strong research base about its positive and negative impacts on teens. But, opinions abound. On the positive side, some experts feel teens are safer now than when they were entering private chat rooms, because their "network" of friends, friends’ parents, relatives, and others “follows them around the site” and can thwart bad decisions and “intruders.” In other words, social networking is more public and less secretive than the chat rooms of the past. Supporters feel teens are also reading and writing more and are more actively-involved with their friends than they were when they passively watched TV and played video-games.         
       On the negative side, detractors say adolescents are trusting; and thus, they are too forthright in providing information about themselves and too non-discriminating about the information they read from others. They also can be secretive, impulsive, and mean to each other when friendships go wrong, sometimes resulting in gossip, lying, and even “cyber-bullying.”  At the very least, opponents argue, social networking is a worthless activity; it contributes no “product;” does not make teens smarter, happier, or healthier; and therefore nothing of merit results.       
       Families should weigh the information carefully, become informed about their teens attitudes and usage, and make their own decisions.

What is Sexting?         
       On Monday, February 8, the Today show offered a brief lesson for parents in adolescent sexting, which is the transmission of nude, semi-nude, or sexually provocative photos or videos by cellphone. The largest growing group of “sexters” is 13 – 15 year-old girls, which makes both the sending and receiving of “sexts” child pornography, a criminal offense. Yet, when adolescents who "sext" were confronted about their sexting behavior, a surprising number did not see their actions as having been “sexual” in nature.         
       In brief, parents should know the photo and video capabilities of their teen’s cellphone, and then talk to their teen about its use, and particularly about the act of sexting. Many teens who engaged in this practice claimed that no adult had ever discussed sexting with them, and they had not considered the consequences of sexting prior to engaging in it. Basically, they trusted the receiver of the sext (usually a friend or boyfirend), and did not think that the photos or videos they sent would be shared, copied, posted to the Internet, or viewed by an adult. They also had no understanding that sexting was against the law.         
       Clearly, teens today live in a technology-dominated world. Clearly, parents and schools must help them understand the pros and cons of electronic communications and teach them to become informed consumers. The Canton Middle School Quality Council has accepted this challenge, and their findings and recommendations will add another dimension to our educational programming. In preparation for future program development, on February 17th, Mr. Drew Bartkiewicz will be conducting proper Internet use seminars with middle school students and sharing the results of these workshops with the Quality Council members who are able to attend.

Click here to view the Today show segment from February 8, 2010.