Social networking is the new craze for many of the students we teach. Even though if you use the term social networking to them they probably will look at you with a look of confusion. I like the term social networking because it describes exactly what sites like myspace and facebook are really for. Unfortunately teens are using sites like these as a way to share intimate details about temselves that should not always  be shared. I think it is highly important that we emphasize to students that they need to be careful of the pictures and details that they post on line. Especially when it comes to illegal activities.  I can’t even count the amount of stories that have evolved about cases where myspace and you tube have been used to show off things that people (in my opinion) should not be proud of. In fact as we have seen in the news lately it can also be a motivation behind things they do. For example taping yourself beating up a girl to post it on you tube or my space like the recent case out of Florida. We have talked in class about the way we as educators handle this issue. For the most part schools have banned the use of most of these sites. I think that we should re-evaluate our approach to sites and talk with our students about why we have sites like those in the first place.

Bullying is a very serious issue that can have lasting affects.If you think about it bullying has always been an issue for students, however it has always been personal. If you had a bully, you usually knew who it was that was doing the bullying. Knowing who is targeting you can help you stay clear of a bad situation. Technology has introduced a new form a bullying that allows people to be bullied anonymously. I think that this form of bullying is much more detrimental for both parties involved. For the person being bullied it brings up many psychological issues of trust, safety, insecurity, etc. For the party doing the bullying the fact that it is being done from a distance or anonymously they almost feel like it is not really happening, givng them a false sense of reality. Many students feel like what they say or do on the Internet is not real and thus has no consequence. It is our job as educators and parents to advise our kids that what they say and do on the Internet can affect them in their real lives and does have real life consequences.