Romeoville Students Get Lesson in Internet Safety

Submited by Valley View School District 365U

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Martinez Middle School students received a “digital” education on the last day before Winter Break.

“Delete Day” included an opportunity to clean up their on-line accounts with an eye toward safety and respect as well as a half hour presentation on “Securing My Digital Future.”

Dean David Majchrowicz and the physical education team utilized skits and a PowerPoint to emphasize the need to respect the internet.

“Stay smart on-line,” Dean Majchrowicz said. “You can have a positive on-line experience. You can still have fun. You can still text each other. Just be careful.”

Students we warned to be aware of the consequences

If you video a fight and post it, that’s call instigation of a fight and you will get exactly what the people involved in the fight got. “You will get caught if you post it.”

If you see a fight, get an adult.

If your social media account is available to the public, predators (often called “creepers”) have been known to communicate using false personas.

Be careful who you friend. “You think you’re cooler if you have more followers. But friends have face-to-face relationships. You gotta be really careful.”

Be aware of drama and bullying via the internet. “A lot of things start out as drama on social media sites and then it becomes bullying. Stop it before it gets huge. Have a relationship. Go up to them and resolve your issues. Texting and sending hurtful messages is not a relationship.”

If you are the victim of cyberbullying, don’t delete the cyberbullying. Take a screen shot. Ignore the sender. Don’t respond. “Report anything that is inappropriate. Let an adult know. But if you feel in danger, call 911 immediately.”

Don’t take nude photos of yourself. Don’t ever send nude pictures over the phone. If you are a victim of sexting, tell somebody. It’s the only way it’s going to stop. The cyber police will be able to use their special technology to find out who the creeper is.

Never give out your password to anyone. “Your best friend today could be your enemy tomorrow.”

Keep personal information private.

Respect others.

“Remember, posting on line is the same as writing with a permanent marker. It can never be totally erased,” Dean Majchrowicz said. “Be careful. People have lost their jobs because of something they posted in high school.”