{"id":15639,"date":"2020-01-26T20:02:39","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T01:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=15639"},"modified":"2020-01-26T16:12:12","modified_gmt":"2020-01-26T21:12:12","slug":"our-children-are-watching-what-are-they-seeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=15639","title":{"rendered":"Our Children Are Watching \u2026 What Are They Seeing?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This post comes courtesy of Superintendent Matthew J. Murphy, Ed. D. of Ramsey School District in New Jersey.<\/em>
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Once upon a time, social media was a means of keeping up with friends. Nowadays, it\u2019s a way to announce who we\u2019re siding with, or an opportunity to throw out unsubstantiated facts or accusations based on little or no facts. Once it was a source of entertainment; now it\u2019s a primary source for news on all topics. National and local elections are upon us, making social media a hotbed for rampant opinion. No doubt about it \u2014 social media has changed how we give and receive information, yet we still don\u2019t understand its long-term effects on us. We do know that our children are watching us (<\/b>even if you think they are not<\/i><\/b><\/a>). <\/b>So do something about it by making a personal pledge that helps our children be children.<\/b><\/p>\n

Purposefully set an example<\/b><\/h2>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve giggled at someone else\u2019s embarrassment or cringed when your own regrettable moment was shared. It can be tough for adults to handle goofs fueled by social media shares. But guess who else is watching? Every single time you use social media to share your opinion, a quote or even a picture (think of the meaning that a red solo cup sends) you\u2019re sending your child a message about the kind of person you expect he or she to be. While well-intended, think about how many people are \u201coversharing.\u201d Are we producing a generation that feels everything and everyone must be photographed and shared on social media? Our children are watching <\/b>(even if you think they are not).<\/i><\/p>\n

Draw a line between venting and toxicity<\/b><\/h2>\n

As citizens, our community members absolutely have the right to make public comments about what is going on nationally and locally. This includes the right to comment upon our school systems. I would never want to suppress that right or prevent the free exchange of ideas. That would violate our American ideals<\/a> and run contrary to what we teach our students. We should all remember the important difference between venting frustrations appropriately and responsibly, and turning toxic with baseless commentary that hurts others. Our children are watching <\/b>(even if you think they are not).<\/i><\/p>\n

Focus on facts, or stop typing<\/b><\/h2>\n

Someone wise quipped, \u201cA lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.\u201d It\u2019s not just a clever saying \u2014 it\u2019s a proven fact<\/a>. It has happened time and time again on social media, and it\u2019s no coincidence that something going \u201cviral\u201d shares the term with sickness. A lone person will post an inaccurate statement with nothing to back it up, other people will spread it via their accounts, and all of a sudden what was untrue has now become part of the public conversation. Before accepting anything as gospel, make sure what you\u2019re passing on is true and accurate. Watch out for posts that start with \u201cNot sure this is true, but\u2026\u201d or \u201cHas anyone else heard\u2026\u201d Step away from the keyboard! You wouldn\u2019t want your kids to be lazy about the facts, right? Sharing questionable material not only can damage an individual, but it can also cause irreversible harm to the morale of a community. Our children are watching <\/b>(even if you think they are not).<\/i><\/p>\n

Scrutinize the source<\/b><\/h2>\n

It is easy to write, print and publish just about anything<\/a> these days, and sometimes readers fall into the trap of thinking clean, neat and slickly produced material must be believable. Don\u2019t fall into that trap. Instead, take the time to look into the Funny Newspaper Generator with Your Own Picture<\/a> sources and facts that support what you are reading. Don\u2019t assume that because something looks professionally produced means that it\u2019s accurate. Our children are watching <\/b>(even if you think they are not).<\/i><\/p>\n

Be nice. Always.<\/b><\/h2>\n

Ramsey School District does not tolerate meanness from our students, and we wish it were not so prevalent on social media. That is an arena in which innocent intent often blooms into hurtful blowback<\/a>. Our schools and communities are filled with hard-working, well-intentioned and dedicated public servants, and respect and courtesy should guide our interactions. Threats and foul language have no place in our community. Having different viewpoints and working through them respectfully is a hallmark of our democracy. If you resort to attacking the messenger and not the message, you have already lost. Our children are watching <\/b>(even if you think they are not).<\/i><\/p>\n

For news: Choose traditional channels over social media\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s helpful to remember that \u201csocial\u201d media is just that: the best place to see your nephew\u2019s Halloween costume, the recipe your friend wants to try, the fish your father caught on vacation, etc. It\u2019s not called \u201cnews media\u201d for a reason, and thankfully most Americans seem to get that. “If America was giving social media a Yelp review, a majority would give it zero stars.”<\/a> Traditional communication channels remain the best way to learn about the goings-on in the school district.<\/p>\n

Social media has its place and can be a tremendous benefit to our community. The Ramsey Public Schools recognizes this by including Digital Citizenship<\/a> in our curriculum and by expanding our Parent Academies<\/a> to help parents deal with these very complex issues. I ask our families and communities to use the megaphone of social media to lift up our schools and not to tear them down. We have an incredible community and school district. Let\u2019s keep the positive momentum going!<\/p>\n

ACPS thanks Dr. Murphy for giving permission for us to re-publish his message and share it with our community.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Learn more about Digital Citizenship<\/a> and how it is taught in ACPS.<\/p>\n

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Four years ago ACPS invited social media expert Josh Ochs to advise and address our families, staff and students. He speaks to over 30,000 children each year across the United States, sharing with them tips they can use to create a positive online presence.<\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t see his presentation at the time, or you want to remind yourself of the content, here is another chance.<\/p>\n

If you are a student, watch this: <\/strong>