The World of the Wide Web

Do you have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Myspace account? Do your children, younger siblings, nieces, and/or nephews have any of those accounts? Can you access their pages? What are they using those sites for? What pics and videos are they posting? What's in their text inbox? What are they accessing on YouTube? Who are they according to the web? 

Recently I began watching this "Frontline" documentary series on the PBS website. It's several different topics ranging from politics, to AIDS, family health, and finance from 2003 to now. The most recent one I watched was titled "Growing Up Online", and it was a mixture of students', parents', and researchers' perspectives on how the social-media world is impacting our youth. Coincidentally, last night I received a very nasty inbox message on my Facebook account from a male student that attends Erwin Middle. I never taught the kid, nor did we ever interact, but for some reason he was compelled to send me four extremely mean, disrespectful, nasty messages. Needless to say, after browsing his pictures to find him holding guns, smoking marijuana, and holding up gang signs, I blocked him, and let it go. The issue that bothers me most is the negative manner in which kids use technology today... From using their phones to record fights and immediately post them on Facebook or YouTube, to posting half-naked/nude pics on the internet. Also, lets not forget the poor and purposely misused grammar to belittle, demean, and verbally abuse each other in status post and comments. Why do our girls think it's "hott" to post pics of themselves with their butts 'tooted' up in the air or them bending over in the camera? Are YOU posting pics like that Mommy, Auntie, Big sister? I will be the first to say I love taking pics and being in front of the camera, but as a teacher, coach, mentor, ADULT, etc. I am mindful of what I post. Kids today are also bullying via the web. There have been several stories of children of all ages committing suicide because they were being picked on, harassed, and abused at school and/or on the web. It's a very sad epidemic that too many of us are ignoring, and discounting as "kids being kids". What makes it even worse is the fact that adults think it's their responsibility to approach/disrespect/fight children for their children. WRONG APPROACH! Parents/adults should step up and stop being 'friends' with their children and GET 'NOSEY'... GET INVOLVED... SET A POSITIVE EXAMPLE... TEACH YOUR KIDS TO BE KIDS!!