Kindergartners have Internet access, but do they or their teachers know what actions are illegal? A recent scandal in my 14-year-old son's school involved children who had downloaded a game emulator--perfectly legal. The illegal part involved the downloading of proprietary materials, such as Nintendo games, for use on the emulator. This is stealing.
Who knew? Not the kids who were caught nor the majority of the staff at the school. Even worse, once the administration discovered the software, they left the emulator up and entrapped kids who attempted to download games.
Although we encourage our educational system to include in the curriculum the necessary tools to make our children technologically savvy, we need to ensure that these kids don't end up on the wrong side of the law. Before a child is allowed on the Internet, age-appropriate ethics and legal issues regarding Internet use need to be taught. Computer-lab supervisors and teachers need to stay current on these issues. And before children attend their first computer-enabled class, they need to be instructed by their parents.
We teach kids that stealing from another person is wrong, but it is hard for a child to imagine the human suffering caused by illegal computer use. We need to discuss the implications of leeching MP3s and pirating software, even the prison sentences for illegally accessing another machine. We can limit a child's access and impose password restrictions, but a proactive approach will always be more effective than a reactive approach.
Schools and parents need to work together to prepare children for the freedom and responsibility that come with using the Internet. Security measures must still be in place--tell a child not to do something and watch how fast he or she will try to do it--but first and foremost, we need to be sure the moral tools equal the intellectual tools we give our youth.
-- Lori MacVittie, lmacvittie@nwc.com
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