5 - Ethical Dilemma

Ethical Dilemma

I teach year 7 and I know half my class are on social media, Snapchat and Instagram seem to be the most popular…

But wait…

None of the students in my class are 13 years of age. Therefore, they are breaking the law about being on these platforms. There is large grey area that says with parental permission children can have an account at 12.

But wait…

We are at the start of the year and none of my class is 12 years old yet!

But the worst part is… many of these accounts are not private. Therefore, these underage children are exposing themselves to the 600 million active users!

As a teacher the ethical dilemma I face is when I try and educate the students about the risks involved but yet they go home and it is all ok with their parents to be on these platforms. As a teacher under 25 years old, I myself are active users of Snapchat and Instagram but of course ensure my account is private as I know the ‘odd fellows’ that can be out there. Not only that, I want to protect to a degree what I post online.

Secondly, it isn’t merely about students having a social media account but rather the immaturity of how to use it, what is ok and not ok to post and more importantly how to react to what is posted. I have noticed that students are lacking resilience and are having many issues in regards to bullying and friendships when communicating on social media. It is scary to think what goes on behind the screens that children face alone and adults – parents and teachers – are completely unaware.

The grey area spreads as it is part of their out of school live but too often it comes to school and involves students at school. Furthermore, while we try and education our students we do not have control over what they do outside of their learning time in the classroom.

It is an issue that is delth with case by case but potentially urgent education for parents is needed around these platforms and the risks involved but also how to educate their children at home.

Personally, I am a huge fan of social media and use it daily, too much some might say. It is how I stay connected with family and friends aboard, connect with old school friends, share my experiences with others and most important I have learnt so much from other educators around the world to support my teaching and learning.

References

Collste, G.(2012). Applied and professional ethics. Kemanusiaan,19(1), 17–33.

Education Council. (n.d). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-et...

Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers