From the Interim Headmaster – Social Media

…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future

                                                                                                           Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

The biggest change to education during my long career has been the advent of information and computer technology, and as an extension of this the introduction of social media into everyday social discourse. When I was a Head of Department, my then Principal decided to purchase one computer for the school, even though he did not believe it was necessary! When I began as a Principal, the internet did not yet exist. We are now in a position where nearly every student, at least in the Senior School and many in the Prep, have their own personal devices and through these devices, access to social media. It is apparent, I think to everyone, that while social media has great potential for enhancement for education through the use of specialist gamification and apps and for the building of strong and positive connections within the School community through specific online communities, it needs to be managed:  and this management is best achieved in partnership between teachers and parents. 

The communications revolution effected by technology allows students and teachers to access a vast database of educational enrichment. Knowledge is available at one’s fingertips. Much of this is compelling and enticing in the best sense. The Digital Age allows the harnessing not just of print media, but also of podcasts, videos, YouTube, and other electronic sources. The plethora of information requires the skill of discernment, which must be taught.

Social media – at its worst – has a seductive capacity to distract, to addict and, in terms of some sites, to harm. Parental vigilance is essential. Parents need to know what sites their sons are visiting and what personas they are adopting online. Social media can be a toxic cauldron of harassment and vile defamatory messaging which can be harmful to mental health. It can leave a digital footprint which can haunt young people later in life.

In my view, parents need to put boundaries around the use of social media, not only in terms of sites visited but time spent. Boys need physical exercise, they need fresh air, and they need to live their lives in the real world, engaging with actual people rather than online or with avatars. Schools need to support this balance.

There is no turning back. We cannot be like King Canute trying to stop the waves. It is no use trying to be Luddites and thinking we can avoid all this by smashing the machines! Social media is here to stay; and when used effectively and with oversight, it has rich possibilities. Our boys will need to be adept in using it in the workforce and to build external social networks as young adults.  Social media also has major pitfalls, against which we must protect the young and sometimes naïve. We need to deploy the Biblical mandate for harm prevention, and hence human flourishing: “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Welcome to the Connected Age!

Dr John Collier
Interim Headmaster