(ThyBlackMan.com) Speaking at the PCBC conference in Tampa, Florida over 1200 middle and high schools students attended from the Urban Leagues throughout the state of Florida, attending the
30th Annual Conference of this educational and motivational conference. Attended by law enforcement personnel from across the state as well, provided students in middle and high school an opportunity to meet and interact with law enforcement men and women.
Developing an understanding of how to interact and engage with each other on a level of mutual respect and trust. Speaking for the second year at the conference addressing Social Media Safety and SWAG, the potential of being recruited by extremist organizations both foreign and domestic is real, the students are learning that their digital content can keep them from employment, educational,
and military opportunities.
Teens have created personal “hoods” (neighborhoods) and enter into virtual interactive environments, sharing their personal life stories to each other and the world. The concern is there needs to be more educational interaction to teach students how to manage their content.
Educational Implications
Access to online resources provides knowledge, education and empowerment beneficial to students, knowledge base and development of a Brand they can Market. Students must be taught to value knowledge and how to use it to increase the ability of virtually apply for jobs and attend virtual educational opportunities. Youth may have the highest scores in Grand Theft Auto, Madden,
defeat aliens in Halo or can mimic the moves better than Michael
Jackson in “Michael Jackson, The Experience” (Wii), how many can create a PowerPoint presentation, modify a Word document, send an email attachment and write a blog with correct spelling, grammar and literary comprehension? These are employment skills.
Thinking and Reasoning
Social networking consists of many facets that require “Thinking and Reasoning.” There are growing online communities of people who share interests and these have allowed people of various shades of color to communicate globally; our students must be able to embrace and work in diverse worlds. If they are not taught our youth beyond the social networks they will continue to lose ground to other students internationally.
Proper Networking
“First Impressions can be Lasting Impressions” Chi Chi Okezie; when involved in social networks be careful of your online behaviors, that person you are chatting with, exchanging music, sharing pictures, they maybe a future client, business partner or even future boss. Your online activity has a credibility factor that can be leveraged for or against you. We must teach our youth just because they have a picture or video of themselves at events does not mean to share it with the world. Networking is more than exchanging digits, astronomic signs, restaurant preferences or even places to shop. Networking includes sharing resources, ideas, experiences, intellectualism and lessons of leadership.
Employers are Wise to Social Media
Employers are involved in social networking; they are researching students content, looking to see if potential employees have questionable social patterns and lifestyles. Mike Hargis of CareerBuilder.com, “Twenty-two percent of employers say they use social networking sites when evaluating job candidates”, this should say to youth of today stop putting pictures that attract attention to them as being “sexy, down, gangsta, thugs, and even gay in some cases. ” Students may hurt their chances of employment, military service or admission to higher educational institutions. Danger is further felt for those employed run the risk of being “let go” because of questionable behavior online, content on their sites and lying about their backgrounds.
Social sites can be used to highlight skills with technology, management of information and finance, the ability to navigate web sites that build professionalism and connectivity to the business world or your site can show immaturity, lack of responsible behavior when interacting with alcohol, drugs and relationships with the same or opposite sex. Youth need to be aware that others are viewing their online content even those seeking to recruit them as terrorists or gang members. Students need to be careful of what they put online and who they are associated with.
Preventing Crime In The Black Community
http://PreventBlackCrime.com/
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.