When I was in high school I got my first job. It was at the local corner pharmacy, long before the days of Rite Aide and CVS. I worked as a cashier. I worked there many years and saw a lot of familiar faces come through the door. There were the elderly getting their prescriptions, smokers getting their cigarettes, moms getting last minute school supplies for their kids, and teenagers getting bottles of soda. My favorite type of customer though were the young children. Sometimes they would come in grinning from ear to ear with a fist full of change to spend on swedish fish, sour patch kids, red hot dollars, and gummy worms....aka penny candy. Having that small amount of money was a big deal back then.
Fast forward twenty-some years and I think of how different life is now for these youngsters. Tonight I got a recorded call from the elementary school's principal. She was asking parents to be aware that children are creating Facebook pages, either with or without their parent's permission. She further added that rumors that started on Facebook were now surfacing at school.
This made for some interesting conversations at dinner.
Billy(6th grade): "I am the ONLY kid in my school without a phone!"
Thomas (2nd grade): "Kids in my class have phones too. And one rang during school today".
Mary Kate (5th grade): "My friend is on Facebook".
Ann (1st grade): "Can I have more spaghetti?" (She wasn't really in on the conversation.)
Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this? I am not talking about high school students. I am talking about children who aren't even able to stay at home alone yet, but have access to phones and the Internet. To me, it's a no-brainer.
I know, I know....it's a sign of the times. And since that's the case, I must go now and check the history on my computer to make sure no one has a secret Facebook account. And to further sound like an old fuddy-duddy....
.....Honestly, what is this world coming to?
What you are saying is true! I have students in Grade 5 Homeroom tell me that they have accounts that their parents do not know about. Cell phones ring in backpacks in the cubbies all day. They are not permitted to use them during the school day, but they hang there in their backpacks ready to use the minute the bell rings. The crazy part is that these phones also give the kids access to the internet. Thus, even if your child does not have one, others are sharing the internet "news" with them. The other issue is "overnights!" It doesn't take much imagination to know what they do when they get to someone's house who doesn't realize all the "little ones" are capable of doing - especially if the home has wireless!! Good luck!
ReplyDeletePS They also know how to fix the settings so that the "history" is not apparent to the parent! xo
ReplyDeleteYou are totally justified in your concern. Passwords on computers are essential and Marie is right about the overnights! It is so scary out there these days. I thought it was tough when my son was young...there are so many other dangers out there now. Serious prayers...daily...that is key.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, Pharmacy memories.....so nice. I will have a pall mall....
ReplyDelete