Should It Be Able To Monitor A Student's Online Activity?

Is anyone’s private information contained in their cell phone actually private? Are appointments, bank information, conversations, the user’s location or other sensitive personal information truly confidential? Is there a Big Brother watching? There is no definitive answer to any of these questions. From the beginning of time to now, privacy has become more and more scarce. Through new developments in technology, it is hard to believe that someone is not watching your move at any given moment. The government’s job is to keep Americans safe, but where is the line drawn? Where is the difference between having a reasonable doubt and accessing information solely because these government officials have the power to do so? The government has infringed upon the rights of the American people when it comes to this topic.

Over the past decade, we have integrated technology into many parts of out lives. We use our cell phones for everything from finding directions, to taking pictures of moments you do not want to forget. Everywhere you go, you cell phone goes with you, if you forget it at home, somehow we feel naked without it. Cell phones have become so powerful and useful for so many things other than just making phone calls; I do not even know why we still call them phones. With that, we have the right to feel secure and free from unwarranted searches though our cell phones and electronic devices.

Students have rights just like everyone else, even if they are in a school environment. It can be humiliating and dangerous to a student's well-being to have their property searched and violated. Some students are even willing to sue if they feel they were unjustly searched. Dear faculty of high schools across America I implore you to think before you decide to search through and violate a student's cell phone; I believe that this practice is harming students.

According to Akash Bagaria, “If the device is not school-owned and is not being used on school campus, schools should not monitor a student’s online activity. If an issue arises, the student’s parents could manage it.” However, it is still important that school officials and police officers need to check people’s phones because their job is to keep people safe. According to California resident Chris Eddy, “The police now have better means to find out if you’re guilty.” Posting good things online can keep you out of

This can result in severe consequences for both the students and the school. Colleges such as Harvard have been denying the entrance of students due to inappropriate and explicit content posted on social media. Many high schools have begun hiring outside companies to monitor their student’s posts. The question arises: By doing so, are they violating these students First Amendment Rights? Approximately 92 percent of teenagers say they use their electronic devices daily (Ray Bendici, “Schools Step up Social Media Monitoring”). Twenty-four percent of which say they constantly use the internet. Although schools have a good intention for monitoring student’s accounts; to stop bullying, to find racist and explicit content, and to stop any threats; some schools go so far that they are violating both their student's privacy and First Amendment

People all around the world have many electronic devices, and there are abundant amounts of freedom that come with them. There are so many different technologies to choose from, but one that seems to be quite common among people of all ages, are cell phones. Such technology is great for many uses, but it is not always appropriate in certain settings. The principal at my school has adopted a new policy that bans the use of cell phones during school hours. I support my principal’s decision. Cell phones can be distractions in many ways to students during school. They can cause conflicts between fellow students and between students and teachers. Allowing cell phones during school hours also basically gives students permission to not pay

In school systems today safety is the top priority that they spend most of their time enforcing rules for this specific reason. After hearing about the Columbine school shooting I can only imagine the pain their parents felt while receiving the news. If the students had access to their cell phones could this have turned out differently? Dr. Stroka talks in a school safety video that you have to put a face on school safety and most people have forgotten what that’s about (Ken Trump). If students have access to phones it betters the chance of getting help right away in life threatening

Public high school students have the First Amendment right of free expression and the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches while they’re at school. These protections extend a student’s social media and to the digital contents of their cell phones. At the same time, public high schools have special characteristics associated with their duty to educate students and provide a safe and orderly place conducive to learning and so students accept greater restrictions of their constitutional rights while in school. At issue with respect to Rocktown High School’s 2016 AP History class is whether the school’s “search” of history student’s social media “friends,” obtained under threat of suspension, was reasonable, whether the

If officials are allowed to check personal belongings without a warrant, it may save many people's lives. For example, when students post something personal or inappropriate about someone else that can lead to cyberbullying. “Fourteen states have passed anti-cyberbullying laws, and other states are considering them. If a school catches a student bullying someone online before the police do, the student is less likely to end up in legal trouble,”Said Joseph Maneen. This says that officials can help stop cyberbullying before it goes too far and ends up illegal. In addition, When people post something or say something you don't like, it can lead to a physical fight. “If the students have done something worth taking the (social networking site) password, of course the school should take it,” Peter Ivancic, a teacher from Haverhill, MA tells us. Peter is trying to explain that problems can be solved earlier by officials checking the phones.

I personally think that students should be able to have their own privacy and they shouldn’t be watched by the school district. I think this because as a teenager i don’t like being monitored by my parents when it comes to doing things on my social media accounts. I wouldn’t like it if my mother watched what i posted on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. because it would be an invasion of privacy. I think it is an invasion of privacy because everybody should already know what is right from wrong and they should know that certain words you say to someone

Officials shouldn’t look through your phone , because it’s a violation of privacy. For example, when a teachers look through students phones it makes students lose trust in their teacher.In the article Freedom Comes First, it claims that “There should be a level of trust between a teacher and a student.”This shows students to trust teachers and the things they say, or do.In addition, officials have no rights to look at any other device not owned by them or their company. Like in the article Freedom Comes First, it states

At certain measures it is ok, for example if the person is using a school computer, the school should have that kind of authority. “Kids need to be free to say something without feeling like the school is watching them 27/7 (qtd. in Wallace). What a student does on their phone off school hours should not concern the school in any way. Even if there is bullying involved, the school shouldn’t be allowed to browse the student’s account. Think about it, if you tell the students that the school has all kind of access to their social media accounts, they most likely wouldn’t bully online anymore. With that being said, the school would have access to all kinds of personal information yet there would be nothing to prevent. “School officials had violated students’ free speech rights when two girls were suspended from extracurricular activites for posting pictures of themselves with phallic-shaped lollipops” (Wallace). The students were suspended from events at school even though everything they were accused of happened outside of school. I believe that the school shouldn’t have had the right to eliminate them from activities for something that they should have never found out

This policy exists to stop students from cyberbullying each other or another person via their phone or equivalent. I found through surveying students that a majority haven’t had their phones confiscated but to agree that teachers have a little too much power to just take a student’s phone, and agree that, if provided with a warrant, would act more like an adult. I propose that Broken Arrow High School amend their electronic search policy by requiring a warrant before they search a student’s electronic device. For example, if a teacher has substantial evidence that a student has been cyberbullying, they go to the police and get a warrant to search/seize that student’s phone so that the student can both have legal rights and adult consequences for wrongdoing. The current policy states that “school administration shall have the authority to detain and search, or authorize the search of any student… upon reasonable suspicion that the student is misusing a wireless communication device (“baschools.org).” The policy should be modified to say “school administration shall have the authority to detain and search, or authorize the search of any student… upon reasonable evidence that the student is misusing a wireless communication device and shall be provided beforehand with a warrant of search.” Instead of spreading the message that teachers can disregard an amendment of the constitution, with these slight revisions, Broken Arrow High School will be positively impacted by giving students more of a legal stance in

Many children have found themselves to be victims of cell phone abuse. Students often use cell phones to spread rumors and misinformation. This misinformation can be difficult for the victim to digest and can be quite stressful for a young child to comprehend. This act of misinformation has resulted in the death of several children after their private information and unsubstantiated information had been spread with the use of cell phones. State and local officials have begun to develop laws that establish strong consequences for the spread of personal information. These consequences include fines, jail time and possible sex offender status.

There are more effective ways in creating policies than just banning students from using their phones. Many people today lacked responsibility, because the education system today does not teach students to be responsible. Only few who grew up out of their comfort zones are very responsible for their works. Children at this age love arguing with either parents and teachers. Taking phones from them the students therefore can be the worst method of teaching responsibility. All the rules made by the school does not make one to be more responsible, but frustrated. High school students are mature enough at this point in life and should be taught to be responsible. Students at this age already know that they are not supposed to use their phones to play games. When necessary, teachers can make their students turn on airplane mode to prevent cheating during a test (“7 Reasons Why Students Should Be Allowed To Use Cellphones In School,” 2014). The simple logic is that the more rules there are, the more frustration and pressure will be put on students.