Written by Troy Williams, Portage Township Schools resource officer
Attention parents: This is your wake-up call.
More and more of our children are getting cell phones and/or computers for their birthdays, holidays and "just because."
With that accessibility to texting, Facebook MySpace, instant messaging and emails comes another important but often overlooked aspect of those mediums: responsibility. Not only by the child but the parent as well.
A good friend of mine once said of kids, "Trust, but verify." We want to trust that our children are doing the right thing, but should we really believe that they are doing it all the time? If you choose to allow your child that instant access, you also must choose to inspect his or her access on a regular basis and verify that he or she is responsible enough to have it.
Every time I speak to student groups, I ask them who has a cell phone or access to a computer. Generally, most of them do. I would approximate it in the 90 percent range. It appears to start in third grade. That is a staggering number of children communicating without much oversight. I have spoken with students who have told me they routinely have had more than 2,000 texts a month.
Some parents are very good about monitoring their children's use and content; however, some are not. Weekly, school administrators and I receive numerous complaints and reports that someone is being harassed, bullied or threatened over the aforementioned mediums. We also come across drug transactions, sexting and photos of alcohol, drugs, weapons and nudity that some kids keep on their phone.
I think we all know a threat when we read one, but a typical drug transaction might unfold as follows: "u got any ladders," "yeah," "how much," "3 apiece," "k," "wat u want," "3," "ight meet me in da rroom." Translated: Do you have any Adderall? Yes. How much are they? Three dollars a pill. How many do you want? Three pills. All right. Meet me in the restroom.
Here are some additional slang terms: Zanies (Xanax), Vikes (Vicodin), Dro/Killa/Green (all marijuana).
Additionally, once someone sends a picture, email or text, it's out there forever. They can be printed or forwarded to anyone. Even if deleted from the phone, they still can be recovered. Many school administrators, college admissions officers and employers are looking at Facebook today, and if they find any questionable photos or posts, they are choosing not to hire that person. Schools can and have enforced their extracurricular activity/code of conduct policies holding students accountable for those photos and posts as well.
In conclusion, I ask all parents and our youth to think before they post or send a photo. Parents, if your child needs a phone, consider a phone without texting or one that only allows them to call five pre-programmed numbers. Parents can receive a copy of their children's cell phone texts through their cell phone provider and be informed. Remember, our kids will do what we teach them. Please text or post responsibly.