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| The social media tool Instagram is demonstrated on an iPhone. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) |
WORCESTER — With software to monitor people's social media accounts growing in popularity, Worcester-area officials weighed in on whether that technology would ever be used in local communities.
In Lowell, the police department and school administration are reportedly considering using social media monitoring to watch students' activity online, according to The Sun of Lowell. In Worcester, with reports of fights and bomb threats, particularly at North High School in the last few weeks, Superintendent Melinda J. Boone confirmed her administration already monitors student accounts "as it relates to Worcester Public Schools regularly."
"As a large district with 44 schools, we do this in various ways, including receiving helpful tips from concerned stakeholders," Ms. Boone said in a statement. "If a situation seems troubling, or has the potential to disrupt the school day, we bring in school and safety officials to prevent it from happening."
Some students outside North High School Friday afternoon said they were unnerved by the idea of someone monitoring their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. This news came just after they learned earlier this week the school will increase its police presence and stream live video feeds to the Worcester Police Department from both inside and outside the building.
"I feel like I'm being stalked (already)," said sophomore Loretta Ben, 16. "I feel like I'm in jail."
Senior Will Perkins, 18, said he was upset. He said if software is ever used to track his and his peers' comments, he would feel like his privacy was being invaded.
"They're not above the Constitution," he said.
Senior Eric Pellerin, 18, said he often feels like venting online outside of school and that social media is his only outlet to voice his frustrations. Agreeing with Mr. Perkins, he said he didn't want to see that opportunity taken away.
"You know they've been doing it for a long time, obviously," Mr. Pellerin added, "but I think it's, like … in your workplace, you can't bring your problems in there. And here, we can't bring our problems in there."
Worcester Police Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst said the department "periodically" monitors social media sites, but only when information comes to the department's attention. He said that happens when Web postings "involve a threat to public safety."
Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty program for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said students have always "had lives outside of school" and that shouldn't be held against them. She said, though, teenagers should recognize their postings to social media are often in the public domain and available to anyone to view.
"There's definitely a danger that if school monitoring of out-of-school student activities reaches a certain level of omnipotence, then the students who want to be engaged in … controversial but totally legal out-of-school activities might be chilled and that's not appropriate," Ms. Crockford said. "Students should not be afraid to (share) their opinions."
She pointed to a case about a year ago in North Attleboro in which senior Nick Barbieri was reprimanded for tweeting negatively about his school outside of the campus.
In response to an assistant principal's tweet, Mr. Barbieri retweeted the administrator's message, adding "(expletive) off #seniors #nomakeup #chirpchirp." The tweet resulted in two three-hour detentions for the teenager, but the school didn't follow through once the ACLU of Massachusetts became involved. Ms. Crockford recalled how one strong letter voicing concerns prompted officials to back down.
"It's clear that with speech protected by the First Amendment — which is most speech, frankly — schools can't come down on protected speech outside of school," she said. "There are certain things (administrators) can do to limit student speech within school — swearing and things like that — but once the student goes home, (that's it)."
Some students at North High School said Friday they had no problem with administrators reading their tweets and personal Facebook pages.
"I mean, if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be really worried," said sophomore Jamil Ahmed, 15. "It's only the students that have something to hide that really do complain about it.
"I keep my thoughts to myself. I don't go on social media," he added.
Junior Veronica Adunah, said she had no problem with officials monitoring accounts either, adding she thinks extra police officers at North High is a good thing.
She said she transferred from South High Community School last year and finds her new school to have far more fights and violence.
"The police are here to help us and if you don't cooperate with them, maybe you can get in trouble, so I think it's right that the police are here," she said.
In late February, with word of "confessional" Twitter pages set up in both Winchendon and Templeton targeting and defaming students, Narragansett Regional High School Principal Shawn W. Rickan said he would consider purchasing software in the future to keep an eye on students, particularly postings related to cyberbullying.
Students were ultimately reprimanded for the mean-spirited accounts in Templeton and Winchendon. At Winchendon's Murdock High School, Principal Joshua Romano publicly called the bullies "pathetic cowards."
"We hope we have a good enough a relationship with students that they would come forward, or friends who witness things would come forward to us," Mr. Rickan said.
Leicester School Superintendent Judith J. Paolucci said in an email she does not feel it's her department's role to monitor student activity online. She was one of 10 superintendents contacted across Worcester County who commented on the issue of monitoring social media accounts.
Ms. Paolucci said her district is not considering making a move to purchase social media monitoring tools at this time.
"First, we do not have the staffing for this, and most importantly, do not feel it is our role to search for wrong-doing in this manner," Ms. Paolucci said in an email.
"On the other hand, if we had reason to believe that a student made a threat against another student on social media, we would not hesitate to investigate."
Contact Samantha Allen at samantha.allen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter@SAllen_89
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