The recent drama in my hometown of North Reading regards a fake facebook made by police officers in order to view the students of North Reading High’s profiles. The facebook carried the name James Stinson and he claimed to be a student at NRHS. He “added” all the students from North Reading High, but when James never showed up at the school, students became suspicious. It turns out, the police reported over 100 students that had been underage drinking in facebook pictures to the principle. They also reported a parent in one of the pictures taking part in the drinking. This parent will now be going to court and will most likely face chargers. As for the students in these pictures, the consequences have not yet been determined. However, it is rumored that they will be suspended, kicked off sports teams, and clubs like National Honors Society. Keep in mind, 75% of the student drinking in the pictures were seniors and applying to college. A punishment like getting kicked off of National Honors Society could affect their college acceptance. So my question is, is it okay for police to use social networking sites for information?
Now, I do not believe that what the police did to look at the facebooks of NRHS students was okay, mostly because I think that drinking even in High School, especially in seniors is very common. I think that in this case, police and the school’s staff were just looking for something to get their students into trouble. Without the creation of James Stinson, everything would have gone along as it normally would. Finding these facebook pictures is not going to help in anyway. Students might be more careful about the pictures they post online, but the drinking problem is not going to end.
However, I do believe that using social networks for police work is okay more serious cases. For example, if terrorism is suspected, then I think that police should be able to take initiative and force facebook to let them view a particular profile. There have also been findings of drug deals on facebook. I think that it would be okay for police to use the information on facebook to help them in their investigations. Last year, a man overdosed on heroine and police used his facebook to find the source of the drugs. Also, a woman was sexually assaulted and beaten by three men she met on facebook and myspace. Investigators used the social networks to track down the men.
I definitely think that facebook should set aside privacy matters when it comes to such serious suspicions as these and let police investigate. I think it can be useful to identify suspects and find evidence or clues on certain matters. However, I don’t think that facebook should be used to regulate problems such as underage drinking because it is not going to stop the problem, it might just hide it even more. I think that instead of looking to get people in trouble, police should only use facebook when they have any suspicion of serious subjects or need to find clues and information.
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To Julia Spehlmann
ReplyDeleteFrom Stanley Tam
You are saying that it is not right for police to use Facebook to track down students that are drinking underage. This is indeed a civil violation when policemen claimed a false identity, but when it comes to privacy, rethink the fact that IT IS the students who are befriending this “James Stinson”. Facebookers have a mentality that whomever has more friends on it seen to be more popular… therefore, they do not even reconsider about the person that they are adding. In my opinion, I think that the students who adding the fake student is their own fault because they are clearly randomly adding people just to have more friends, if they do not know him or her beforehand. The violation of privacy was enabled by the stupidity of the students and could have been prevented, but the policeman is at fault when he or she started to claim this false identity.
Underage drinking is preformed with consequences in mind. It is unfortunate that the majority of the seniors who were going to be college bound were caught, but they should have known the consequences of being caught. Students must understand that as they are getting smarter, so are the police. Underage drinking, like you said, will certainly not diminish. It is not going to prevent future parties or gatherings that promote underage drinking, so why are you even defending this bust? You shouldn’t even give a damn and be grateful that it didn’t happen to you.
From: David Chan
ReplyDeleteSo how does this work? Do I have to disagree with you now? I think you're right when you say that the police is wrong to think that finding a few incriminating pictures on facebook is going to stop underage drinking. If anything, it will serve to warn students to be more cautious in the future. Once the police have exhausted this resource they'll have to move on to a new medium in order to catch students for petty crimes based on an obsolete and outdated law.
I have to disagree with you however when you say that it's wrong for the North Reading Police Department to use Facebook to catch students underage drinking. That would be like saying a cop should look the other way if a despondent teenager were to be chugging from a paper bag. If students think that they won't get caught because the evidence is hidden on facebook, then they deserve to be caught. Students should be more careful of having their pictures taken in compromising circumstances especially when those circumstances happen to be illegal.
From Emily Jacobs
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point-of-view that the police should not be able to use false identities on social networking sites in the instance of North Reading High School. Since the students did not believe they were sharing pictures and information regarding illegal activity with police, I don't think the evidence should be allowed in court.
I think this issue provides an interesting lesson, thought. It is the responsibility of these teenagers to filter who they add or decline as friends on sites such as Facebook. If none of these students had met someone named "James Stinson," then they should not have accepted the friend request to begin with. Also, it is the teenagers responsibility, should they be drinking or doing drugs under age, to refrain from posting evidence on the internet for the world to find. It is unfortunate that they may lose their place in NHS, on sports teams, scholarships, etc., but it is their own fault.
To: Julia
ReplyDeleteFrom: Carley
It wasn't brought to my attention until my senior year of high school that adults and law enforcers were using faulty or even their own facebook profiles to get underage kids in trouble for drinking. It was at lacrosse pratice last year that my coach threatened us all to remove any picture we have of us consuming alcohol and to make our profiles as private as possible. One of her fellow coaching colleagues had been subject to a mom going on facebook and printing out pictures of numerous of the lacrosse players, most being seniors. The girls were suspended from school and lacrosse, some losing their scholarships to play at college. I believe that people have taken facebook too far. Too quickly it has become a tool for blackmail, social controversy, school controversy, and as I explained, sports controversy. Although facebook as connected millions of people around the world, I have heard too many stories about how the online site has hurt kids to the extent of ruining their college careers, sports careers, and even job careers.
Kate Loughlin to Julia
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do think it was not right what the police officer did people do need to think more about what they are posting for the public to see. Posting or (being tagged in) pictures of you breaking the law is not a very good plan. Most people would not have pictures online that showed them shop lifting. It is also important to think about who you are accepting as a friend. I have definitely accepted people who I am not sure who they are but it says I went to school with them and we have lots of mutual friends so I figure its ok maybe I just can't place them. This post definitely made me think twice about doing that. As a general rule I try to keep high privacy settings and not have things on my facebook that my mom or dad would be very upset over. There is really no need to share so much when you have no idea who can see it.