Reacting to Kid's Behavior on Social Media: From Manner to Corner

A: Seeing from child protection side, should we really share the capture of kid’s fault, are we wise enough as adults to share showing their faces and names? Not to try to put a blame on anyone. Just try to point out that we also should think twice how to use media. Despite of what people have their opinion about this issues of getting in relationship in early ages, we may come out with one nice idea to protect them. Just please blur that face and name. It seems like more people share and it it accumulated to be like a moral punishment to that kid. We are stranger, feeding our so-called judgement on that kid and parent, I am not quite convinced.

We were like this when we were in elementary or junior high school, as I remember certain friends of mine sending a love letter to teh prettiest girls. We did it that way because there was no facebook and other social media. What differs maybe they are all brave in showing an expression, while we were so shy to show or accept people’s affection at that time. But why it is a problem now? And have we actually ellaborate it with the progress of world today?How is the growth hormone of kids these day? How is the television and all soap cinema treat us?

When I was a young teacher, 80% of my 6th grade students are in a relationship. It might due to serial movies and others entertainments  on the prime time as well. I thought they were just a kid and in puberty. Rtaher than trying to cut down those kid, I chose to let them and support them being in relationship. They sent love letters, ring or bracelet exchange, chatted up on Sunday in front of my house, something like innocent love bird do. To monitor that, I built trust to make sure they could tell me things they did, gave a consultation via diary exchange, and also put sex education so they were putted on a ground rules.

B: There is no exact answer to response this case. One side, by republish the capture, it seems like we scrape child’s right. But the other side, it might be the effective way to gain people awareness. If we learn from another hottest case (picture of 1 y.o baby smoker on his mother’s Facebook), it could be solve because of social media couragement.

Firstly, we have to focus on what the problem was. Are we talking about the way we publish that or the way kids should be to show their natural feeling?

Secondly, it might be not fair to judge the way she did, right or wrong, only from this capture. What I have told you early was just because I had checked her FB and I found another aggresive status also supportive responses from her friends.

Thirdly, from the point of child protection, we were not stuck on one name but also how to prevent another kids doing the same. Media could be one of alternatives to make this issue being crucial then people will notice that it is not supposed to be that way. And some institution who concern in child issue, usually got the report from social media, clearly with the name so that we know how to investigate and where to contact.

Fourthly, it happens because they were well-facilitated but less-controlled. The parents and the school should be aware of how much our advance technology impacting kid’s social live. Their homework is how to teach the kid to be wise as user, do some sudden inspection if needed, and open to discuss about puberty with their kids since sex education seemed so taboo to be talked in our Indonesian culture.

C: It would be more gracious if we didn’t share the aforementioned picture. Personally, I think it’s ethically wrong to use one’s faulty decision to bolster some social campaigns in the world where social media is omnipresent in our daily lives and everything can be viral on a whim. In a similar vein, yes, one can have their own opinions about the case, but here is the thing, they are just kids. I find it disingenuous and a little hypocritical on how we judged them solely based on how they behave on social media. Also, if we want to play blame game, blame their parents. Parents take a huge responsibility in all of these youth-internet-silliness. If you want to enrich yourself on how children use social media in anthropological lens, Danah Boyd’s “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens” is the best way to start.

Everyone has their own ways to deal with their moral quandaries, but one has to put them in cultural context. In the end, I came to a conclusion that there is no “right” ways to deal with these intricate problems. As long as you back up your activities with acceptable motives and consider every single possible outcome, I think it is perfectly fine to cast doubt upon yourself wheter you are doing the right thing or not. Besides, usually teachers who are genuinely worried about what they did to their student actually did way better than those who pride themselves that they have accomplished something.

So, which opinion you agree with? A, B, C, or all of them? The point is we should rethink before react on happening issues. Be wise to use social media :)