Ridgewood students tackle social media issues
JUNE 13, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014, 4:09 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
When it comes to improving student culture surrounding social media, who better to turn to than students themselves?
Students who participated in the first Ridgewood High School Student Leadership Summit worked on solutions to challenges, including ways to increase school spirit.
That was the thinking of Ridgewood High School (RHS) administrators, who recently consulted with students after a social media crisis this past May was caused by Yik Yak, a localized app that allows people to make anonymous comments. Using the app, a 17-year-old boy made an anonymous gun threat on May 13 that targeted RHS. After an around-the-clock police investigation, the boy was found and taken into custody.
But there were problems with the app even before that event, administrators said.
“Students that I talked to shared that there were just horrendous, horrible things written about other students, about us staff members,” said RHS Assistant Principal Basil Pizzuto. “There were some students really hurt by it, really, really hurt by it, and kind of still struggling with what they went through.”
In order to improve this situation, administrators – including Pizzuto – decided to talk directly to students. “Student leaders” identified by faculty were emailed an invitation to discuss the issue with adults on May 28.
Ultimately, 10 students gave up their monthly sleep-in day to discuss social media and school culture in the RHS Campus Center.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/rhs-students-tackle-social-media-issues-1.1035198#sthash.NjbvYhNq.dpuf