Lake Forest School District Holds Internet Safety Discussion
FELTON, Del. - Danger on the Internet was the topic of discussion for Lake Forest School District parents on Monday night.
Monica LeBlanc is the mother of two children, a middle and high schooler.
“Times have changed since I grew up and went to school, but they're so influenced now by what goes on the Internet and social media that you gotta be on top of what's going on so you know what your kid is doing.” says LeBlanc.
Social media puts the ability to share information just a click away, but that convenience could also be perilous. Experts say one of the biggest online temptations is over sharing or posting too much online – whether that means photos or personal information which can live online even after you've deleted it.
Bullying is another concern. It's one of the reasons school officials planned this seminar last spring. They say kids don't speak up often enough when they're being harassed, and it's important to communicate with a parent or another adult if it does happen.
There's another danger that kids need to be wary of: viral videos. Just one month ago, an eighth-grade boy at W. T. Chipman Middle School died. Delaware State Police ruled his death accidental and released a statement warning parents and their children against any “games” that involved tying an object around a person's neck to the point of passing out. That description is similar to the infamous “choking game”, which is a viral video responsible for 80 deaths between 1995 and 2007 according to the CDC.
At Monday's event was Earle Dempsey of the Delaware Department of Technology and Information. He tells 47 ABC online videos can certainly provide benefits spreading useful information and news, but an unintended consequence could be dangerous trends being mimicked by online viewers.
“You used to have a game of telephone where the word would spread slowly and inaccurately, but now it's out there for anyone to see at anytime and it can spread like wildfire.”Dempsey explains.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Conway believes it's time for parenting to reach the Internet until their children reach college.
“For some reason, folks sometimes think…oh they're in middle school, they're in high school, they don't need my supervision…and in fact, it's the opposite.” Says Dr. Conway “I think what this event does this is, it reinforces that we need parents up until graduation.”
Lake Forest officials also recommend any parent to reach out to their Parent Advisory Committee for future concerns. For more information on their latest council meeting, check out their web site.
