MI- Text messages can be sent in haste, regretted forever

10-16-2008 Michigan:

Bad situations not uncommon

The nude photo circulating on the cell phones of Pinckney Community High School students may be shocking -- but the combination of easy access to cell phones and poor impulse control for teens means it's not a unique situation.

Earlier this month, a 15-year-old Newark, Ohio, girl was charged with child pornography after she sent a nude photo of herself to three boys. She might have to register as a sex offender and the boys could be charged as well.

Russ Zimmer, who covered the story for the Newark Advocate, said the sex offender possibility seemed to upset many residents in the community about 30 miles east of Columbus. But in many of these cases, the law is the law.

Researchers say the brain is a work in progress until the early 20s. The areas dealing with planning and judgment develop later and the part dealing with emotion and gut response are more active during the teenage years.

That often leads to a collision between the unformed teenage brain and the enormous communications potential of cyberspace. And the prevalence of cell phones in schools -- an item many parents think is essential for keeping their kids safe -- means the repercussions of bad choices can mount quickly.

"It's kids and risk taking," said Nicole Ellison, a Michigan State University assistant professor and an expert on social network sites. "There is a lack of inhibition."

The world has changed radically from the days when teenage mistakes were only known locally, said Glen Stutzky, a clinical instructor in MSU's School of Social Work.

"We need to hammer away at this with kids, not just talking but demonstrating as well," Stutzky said. It's not just a question of embarrassment when images or information gets out unintentionally, it's a question of safety, too. Internet predators are moving from chat rooms to text messages, he said.

Even before incidents like the one in Pinckney, schools were wrestling with whether to allow students to have phones in their buildings. The ringers cause disturbances and students text in class and even use their phones to cheat.

As a result, some schools require students to keep phones in their lockers and out of the classroom. Last year, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools decided to suspend kids caught using cell phones in classrooms. ..News Source.. by PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI • FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER