Cell phones are powerful devices. If we as parents allow our students to have them, we have the responsibility to teach their proper use and monitor what our children are doing on those devices. Recently we have been dealing with an increasing amount of social drama and behavior issues related to student behavior on various social media platforms (SnapChat, Instagram, TikTok, etc…). Please be aware that most social media platforms have an age restriction (often 13 years old) and if minor children lie about their age it is a violation of the use agreement and could face repercussions from the organization. Depending on the severity of the infraction, law enforcement may also become involved.
If you allow these platforms for your child, we ask that you have a conversation with your student about being good digital citizens and remind them that their behavior online should be the same as it is in person. Last week, we hosted Michigan State Police officers into classrooms to speak to our 8th through 12th grade classes about social media, the law, the dangers, and the potential to addiction. Although, only 8th grade students received the presentation in our building, we are seeing a growing trend of students in our Middle School and even upper Elementary, on smart devices with access to many social media apps including TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, and Facebook. If you feel your child is ready to explore social networking sites, we encourage you to put some safe guards and rules in place for your teenager as well as review their accounts (as we are finding many students have multiple accounts).
One of the videos that was shared with us by the Michigan State Police officers but wasn’t shared with our students because of time, had many great takeaways that we thought it was worth sharing with parents. The video is lengthy (16 minutes) but contains valuable information about the generation and technology use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNgQOHwsIbg
The middle school years (between ages 11 and 13) are crucial times of development. One of the last parts of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational decision making. Because the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, the adolescent brain is overrun by impulsive behavior, emotional reactions, and sometimes poor decisions making. The ability to stop and think before acting (i.e. posting questionable pictures, disclosing personal information, making derogatory comments) is still emerging in most teenagers. Most adolescents are living in the moment in social media and do not yet have the cognitive capacity to understand the long-term consequences of their use. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with your child and helping them set healthy boundaries. We are hopeful that these discussions will help curb the recent rash in behavior originating online.