California school district hires firm to monitor students' social media- Arlesia McGowan Period 4

By: Micheal Martinez
Saturday, September 14, 2013


     So guys, I wonder how we would all feel if the Dallas District just randomly decided to start monitoring our social media...um...that wouldn't be fun. Concerned about the truancy, drugs,violence,and bullying rate,  Glendale California hired a firm to monitor students' social media in the public schools. They paid 40, 500 to the firm to monitor students' social media accounts for a year. I wonder what the outcome will be. Geo Listening, the firm company, will now follow 14, 000 students' accounts, age 13 years and over, in search of any signs of violence or anything relating to that matter. The reason for such concern is because in the past two years, a few students committed suicide, so the district thinks that this firm can help watch out for any signs pertaining to that case. However, critics say that the firm is "stalking" students accounts, but the Superintendent claims that the firm is simply for students safety. To make you feel a little bit better, the firm is not able to check emails, texts and accounts that the student puts on private (which is probably what every kid is going to do in that portion of California :). Liking this idea so far?
     When I read over this article, honestly I wasn't shocked in the least, because one school district or two is bound to do something like that anyway,  although Dallas, and Plano (where I live by) have had some serious issues with drugs, violence and such and I would feel more than uncomfortable. If I were any of those students, I would most definitely be aware of what I do ( I think I have an idea). In my opinion, some students really need to watch what they post nowadays, because some of them post totally unnecessary stuff on their social network. Hopefully Dallas ISD won't act upon something like this in the near future, or I better be out of high school first, before they even decide to do so. I think this is helpful in a way because I know we as loving caring individuals don't want to see another fellow peer murdering the selves because he or she was bullied, over cyberspace. So this monitoring is beneficial for those very reasons. The End.

Click on it! Heres the link: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/14/us/california-schools-monitor-social-media/index.html?hpt=us_c2

   .Love,
    Arlesia:)