Cyber Ethics

As teachers incorporate more technology into their lessons, teaching cyber ethics is something that can't be ignored.  However, teaching students how to behave ethically regarding technology is a little tricky.  It's like teaching kids about sex.  Some parents talk to their kids and they think the teacher should stay out of it.  Other parents don't talk to their kids and expect the teacher to (of course, the teacher should only tell the child what the parent thinks is right).  Finally, there are the parents that don't talk to their kids and don't think the teacher should either (we'll give them ideas..).

Since I teach older kids, most of them have heard that they shouldn't give out personal information on the internet or talk to people they don't know.  They also know cutting and pasting off the internet is plagiarism although they pretend they don't.  They also know they shouldn't write or post when they are angry or write hurtful things in e-mails, texts, or on people's walls.  They know to exit or cover the screen and notify an adult if inappropriate content appears on their screen.  However, they are kids.  They makes mistakes and succumb to peer pressure.  They also have parents and teachers who ignore the problems or don't know to look. 

For my students, the biggest technology issues are cell phone and social networking related.   I hear a great deal of conversation about things that students say to one another in texts or on Facebook.  They say awful things to one another in anger or to get a laugh and don't realize how truly hurtful they are.  Kids also think no one will see their unkind texts or the naked picture they sent to the boy they are dating.  Teenagers trust their friends more than anyone else.  They don't want to believe they will turn on them.  Most of my students say their parents don't read their texts or e-mails (that they know of).  Some say they can't delete texts and their parents check their phones on ocassion.  Very few say their parents check their phone all the time or with consistency.  Honestly, how can we expect them to?  If a child is sending thousands of texts per month, how can parents find the inappropriate texts amongst the many nebulous texts?  And unless you count every text, how do you know the child hasn't deleted or hidden the texts a parent would take issue with?

Another issue with cell phones is the issue of privacy.  A growing issue is people controlling significant others or friends by snooping on their phone.  I see this happening with my students.  Girls will read their boyfriends texts and check his missed calls.  I see kids grabbing other kids phones to read a text from another friend they are in a fight with.  That's Not Cool  is a site for older kids to educate them about the dangers of sexting and that their cell phone and social networking sites belong to them and not others.  Common Sense Media is a site for parents on how to talk to their kids about cyber ethics.

Knowing when to put down/turn off the cell phone is another issue.  Students talk about receiving texts from another student who was up studying at 3 a.m.  Other students don't know when to stop playing games or texting.  They can't pay attention in class, do their homework, or be present in their own social life because they are glued to the phone.  Again, parents don't realize this most of the time.  And again, most don't know they should suspect and don't know how to monitor it.  In June 2009, ABC News publicized a study which found a correlation between lack of sleep and cell phone use in high school students:  Too Much Cell Phone Time Takes Toll on Teen Sleep.

As their teacher, I try to model good cyber behavior.  I don't answer e-mails angry, I discourage reading other people's texts, and remind students often that what they do in cyber space exists forever.  As a parent, I'm not looking forward to my son getting old enough to be involved in all of this.  The best approach is probably to teach him our expectations and hope he will act appropriately in the cyber situations that he will certainly encounter.  I liked the idea of the family netiquette contract.  I've already passed it on to my sister-in-laws.  Hopefully, I won't feel the need to buy the  at&t Family Map I keep getting offers for in my cell phone bill.  While it might have its advantages, it's a little 1984 for my taste.