The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Recently, as a staff we were fortunate to be involved in a professional development session with a Detective Senior Sergeant from New Zealand Police. The officer is in charge of Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ), which is a branch of the New Zealand Police force armed with dealing with the ‘ugly’ side of Internet safety and abuse.

It struck me after listening and talking with the Police Sergeant how vulnerable our students are in relation to the ever increasing influence of the Internet. The advent of online chat rooms, social media such as YouTube, Snapchat, ask.fm and the hugely popular Facebook have instantly changed how today’s teenagers interact, socialise and form relationships. As educators and parents, we must continue to work hard to understand

the side effects (the good, bad and ugly) associated with the increased use of the Internet. An example of this is the increase of cyber bullying within our community. While my observations would suggest that this is a minor issue within the middle school, there is no doubt in my mind that it is a form of bullying that is increasing and can have devastating effects, as seen in a recent case of a 12 year old student in America.

We must remain ever vigilant, aware and educated towards new trends, responsibilities and policies surrounding technological advances. Next year, at middle school we aim to launch a series of forums designed to inform students, parents and staff how best to adapt to the physical, social and cognitive changes brought about through new technology.

To provide a balanced message, we need to look at the considerable good the Internet age is providing for students. While recently reading an online article related to the impacts of the Internet, it was interesting to note the positive effects on physical development: “Regular Internet usage would naturally enhance a child’s eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills due to keyboard and mouse usage.” Cognitive development
was positively impacted: “Children who use the Internet show gains in cognitive abilities such as memory, spatial and logical problem solving, critical thinking, concentration, abstraction and comprehension.” Likewise, social development is also positively impacted: “If properly used, the Internet can serve as a medium

for acceptable social interaction” (Scoter & Railsback, 2001). The Internet allows children to socialise with other children through the use of email, chat rooms and instant messaging, increasing the development of communication and social skills.”

Many parents whose children use the Internet in school believe that the Internet has improved their child’s overall attitude toward school. The Internet today is part of students’ natural environment. According to Tapscott, “When kids are online, they’re reading, thinking, analysing, criticising and authenticating – composing their thoughts” (1999).

These developments and enhancements offer teachers, parents and students a range of tools which enable us to better prepare for our ever changing environment. The tricky part is how we work together to weed out the good from the bad and the ugly!