Students on the west coast have expressed concerns about schools monitoring their social media posts and comments, arguing that it infringes upon their privacy and limits their freedom of speech. The school initially failed to inform students about a third-party company monitoring their social statuses, leading to speculation among students that the administration did not confirm. I believe that if a school decides to monitor students, they should at least notify them and obtain consent before accessing their online media sites. In California, a school district paid $40,500 to Geo Listening for monitoring its students’ sites for signs of bullying or self-harm—a questionable expense considering its unproven effectiveness.
The superintendent’s statement indicates that the excessive amount of money spent on monitoring bullying and self-harming cannot be justified. Changing privacy settings to strict would render the school’s expenditure of over $40,000 useless since the monitoring company can only search public accounts. The absence of disciplinary action against students for social media posts further demonstrates that social media is not being used for harassment or intimidation. This highlights how school districts make impulsive decisions that drain funds and detract from student learning. Moreover, if disciplining students for online speech violates their freedom of speech rights, Geo Listening will encounter challenges in addressing potential bullying or self-harm threats. While protecting against these threats is commendable, there are better methods to achieve it and provide protection.
