USING TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY

By Elizabeth Adjei

16 January 2018

Social networks provide an exceptional avenue for communication and building student/educator relationship.

Students are now able to access these networks everywhere: homes, school, and any public place. Pew Research Center’s 2011 report on teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites shows how common social media usage has become in the lives of American teens, to the extent that having a presence on a social network site is almost synonymous with being online. The research shows that "95% of teens aged 12-17 years are now online and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites”. The rapid growth in these social media sites has become a very active and consistent meeting place of its usage by students. As a result of this phenomenon, educational leaders are expected to be abreast with the advancement of technology for their school communities since the changes in technology should cause them to add new policies and guidelines for safe and appropriate use of the internet, while at the same time improving their own skills in digital literacy (138). Though Technologies such as online social networks make it easy to explore and express ideas, it is also being used to victimize other users.

Furthermore, educational leaders must therefore understand these technologies to prepare their students for the digital future.

Many students have been marginalized due to wrongful or misuse of technology. Several cases have been reported in the media; examples of such incidents include the suicides by student of Rutgers, Ohio, Missouri, and Oregon Universities. Pew’s report (2011) on Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites, revealed that 25% of face-to-face interaction on a social media site led to an argument, 22% ended in friendship, and 13% reported that it made them nervous to attend school the next day. “These events place a spotlight on the issues that surround technology use and misuse”. The above findings are an eye opener for educational leaders to educate the young adults on the proper usage of this wonderful technology without hurting each other.

Added to that, cyberbullying has become increasingly common especially among teenagers. Most computer programs and tools are without instructions and restrictions, therefore aiding in cyberbullying such as posting rumors, threats, sexual remarks, a victims' personal information, or pejorative labels (i.e., hate speech). Due to this, technology users are reaping the benefits as well as the problems. Educational leaders have a responsibility to protect students, and some might argue that an ability to help makes them become part of the problem. All members of the community must be involved since the problem is in the understanding and people not being interested in the dark sides of technology. Parents depend on schools to educate them, their children as well as the community members on these technological skills. Due to this, as technology related-issues increase, school-related do too. One pressing issue is the lack of understanding related to training students, staff, and faculty members in the appropriate use and etiquette for social media.

Moreover, a concern related to technology misuse has been the lack of empathy students shows towards each other.

“A research conducted in the University of Michigan Institute of Social Research study showed current students were 40 percent less empathetic than survey conducted in 1979”. This change can partly be attributed to the lack of emotional connection in social networking sites because of the absence of a face-to-face interaction which can make students act out. A typical example is students posting nude pictures or videos of their peers without taking into consideration the emotional, psychological and social effects it would have on their personality. There is a larger audience today than in the past, which has made it easy for students to connect at the press of a button. It is therefore important that school leaders access and utilize all the positive aspects of the new technology as they get rid of the negative aspects of these tools for all students (139). Students should be guided and made to know the difference between “Real life and Online life”.

Also, students should be mindful of their postings, and realize that they are interacting with real people, not just laptops or smartphones. All users need to regain some empathy and etiquette for others as well as their own. Though times and technology have changed, the need for basic skills in humanity are important no matter how people connect with others. We are living in a technological world with increasing online communications whiles having fewer online cues available. Building relationship among both students and leaders must be vital and encouraged by using these technologies.

How can schools or educational leaders help in providing the necessary skills for their students and staff?

When technology is provided without direction or instruction it has the potential of causing harm to others. In 2011, Ribble’s second edition of Digital Citizenship in Schools was released through The International Society for Technology in Education and focused on the attributes required for digital citizens . This nine elemental areas were identified to ultimately define those living in a digital society, organized under three general headings: Respect – Educate –Protect.(140) The areas are as follows:

Respect Yourself/Respect Others

• Digital Etiquette: educational leaders are expected to create awareness on being a responsible online citizen and also encourage student to treat others how they want to be treated online.

• Digital Access: educators and parents are to provide equal chance for students to have equal access to technology looking at the fact that all students are not same and may be slower in learning.

• Digital Law. Digital law has both positive and negative effect on people and society as a whole hence the need to ensure online user’s right are protected. Behaviours like hacking into people's details, creating viruses among others should be punishable by law.

Educate Yourself/Connect with Others

• Digital Communication: Most communications online are written words. Words mean differently to different people especially when you will not be there to explain yourself. Students are to be trained on the need to use the right words to avoid any misunderstanding in their online communication.

• Digital Literacy: technology keeps expanding each day with new tools and apps, student and educational leaders need also to increase their horizon to meet the new wave in technology. Technology has moved to artificial intelligence era where just a voice recognition is enough to send information. Both students and educational leaders should be abreast with this technology and how they can apply to the work effectively.

• Digital Commerce. Students need to acquire knowledge on how to protect themselves and share information in this technological world. Students need to enquire on safer sites which will cause no harm to their personality and personal information.

Protect Yourself/Protect Others

• Digital Rights and Responsibility;Educational leaders need to ensure that students who are online are following the rules, any student who go contrary to the rule, right's should be revoked. If any student spells foul or feels uncomfortable using any online tools, they can report to authorities for it to be addressed.

• Digital Safety (Security): Educational leaders need to safeguard technological tools and information that are online. Students should be made aware of the dangers they pose on themselves as well as others when they keep certain viruses on their devices and download information from unsafe sites.

• Digital Health and Welfare: When one gets addicted to technology, it affects their social life, educational leaders and parents need to join forces to help set limits of technology use at home and in school so student's life can be balanced.