{If you are reading this via email you may need to click through to see the actual video of Tagged.}
Tagged is a relatively long You Tube video at just over 18 minutes. I don’t tend to watch long videos on the computer, I often get distracted by something half way through! But this was like watching the proverbial train wreck, I wanted to keep watching to see the total damage done.
So what is Tagged about?
When a group of high-school friends post a rumour about a rival, it sparks a chain reaction that leaves no one untouched. Cyberbullying, sexting, filmed fights and police action follow – will these friends be Tagged forever?
A short film developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Cybersmart program, Tagged is a drama for Australian teenagers that explores cyberbullying, sexting, digital reputation and personal responsibility. These themes are crucial to maintaining positive online behaviour and experiences while growing into adulthood. Featuring a teenage cast. Tagged is aimed at an audience 14 years old and over.
I watched the video on my own first. This is no daggy production. It is well put together, keeps your attention and unfortunately completely believable.
Although aimed from 14 year old up, my almost 13 year old has facebook, a mobile phone and a blog. I monitor all of these and we haven’t had any issues with his behaviour online, but I am constantly surprised at how nasty young teens can be to each other at times. None of this has been directed at my child, but I have asked him to delete conversations from his wall which I feel to be inappropriate.
After I watched the video I jotted down a couple of words to describe my feelings/thoughts on the film. I asked my son to do the same after he wayched it. He didn’t see mine and I let him write his own list. I think the power this film has is evident in how we both came up with the same first word – vulnerable.
Me | My son |
|---|---|
vulnerable | vulnerable |
disturbing | paranoid |
awkward | viral |
sad | reputation |
permanent | scary |
The film is made by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) who have a fantastic website, Cybersmart, with a range of tips for parents, teachers and children of all ages with regard to all things online.
They have a dedicated section for the film Tagged which has:
What parents can do
- Be aware of what your teenager is doing online and explore it with them. Try to locate the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
- Discuss the kinds of sites that are okay to explore and those that are not, and have clear rules about online activities.
- If your child is using social networking sites ensure that they understand the privacy features—in particular how to set their profile to private and limit access to their information. Encourage them to screen online ‘friends’ and block anyone that sends offensive content.
- Keep the lines of communication open so your child will be comfortable to talk to you if something is worrying them.
- Help your child to develop the skills they need to interact safely and respectfully online.
How do you manage social media with your teens (or younger)?
16 comments...read them below or add one
l helped both my teenagers set up their Facebook profiles so I could not only set the security on their accounts but also so I could talk through with them about the rules that they needed to abide by on there.
I’m friends with them – plus also is their aunties, uncles, older cousins and grandparents. Not much is going to get past that lot!
And I also won’t let them “friend” someone they don’t know in real life.
You have to give them the trust to follow rules you set with them and so far this has worked.
It’s also important to stay one step ahead of changes to Facebook and other social media channels or networks they’re keen to be a part of.
A head in the sand – my kid’s not going to be on Facebook – attitude won’t work. You’ll just make it more attractive.
Staying a breast of the changes is so important Nikki, especially when it comes to privacy.
my kids are way too young for this, but it frightens me to think what we will be dealing with by the time they reach high school.
I think about myself at that age, and I have been in those scenes, underage drinking, etc etc, ok so I turned out ok, but I’d hate to think of some of the images people would have of me if we’d all had internet, mobile phones, facebook.
There is just some mischief you get up to, and you want to leave it right there in the history books, it’s frightening to think that every move you have is at risk of being recorded in photo, video and this is the perception some will have of you forever.
Great video and creates good food for thought.
I know exactly what you mean Mandy. Videoing and photographing everything brings up so many issues for kids.
Another recently published book you may be interested in is “Connected: You’ve Upgraded the Technology – Now Upgrade the User.” It’s put out by a group here in New Zealand called Attitude. This group is so good that they are invited to speak at school assemblies. My daughter heard them last year at her state high school. With their humour and fantastic ability to communicate facts, they didn’t just entertained but gave the 500 16-17 year old students a lot to seriously think about.
Cathy Turner
They sound great. The key is to relate to teenagers in a way that treats them with respect, but gives them the info to empower them to make the right choices. Thanks for sharing the info.
That is such a well done film and poweful. I hope schools start showing it in class.
I do too. Education is the only thing that can help prevent this happening over and over again.
My girls are still small but that movie was both riveting and disturbing….
I thought the little exercise you did with your son was a great idea.
Giving young people the freedom to use social media but also leading them to be more critical and aware of potential dangers involved. I imagine its not always easy but you seem to have it down pat.
Thank you!
Thanks Kirri. That is the approach I like to take, allow them to use social media but be across what they do and educate them to be responsible.
My kids are still quite young, but ever since I found out I was pregnant with Bluey just thinking about being the mother to a teenager sends me into a mild panic attatck.
For now, and at least the next 5 years I can happily say no to facebook, and mobile phones. I have said 16 for a mobile, maybe earlier but outright no until at least 14. Mr Black, who is usually the lenient one, has said 18. I will stick by Facebooks age ruling too. But there is time to change all of this and work out plans. We can’t be too concrete until the questions start to be asked and we can measure it against society.
The girl who changes schools? That could have so easily been be as a teen. Being a young mother, I have my teenage years still quite fresh, and while I did survive and i’m not some serial killer, I did not come out unscathed and often felt the pressure to jump quickly to be the bitch and scare people off from messing with me.
The girl at the end, was me too however. I was quick to befriend people, and genuinely nice, but I just wasn’t someone you wanted to threaten or mess with.
I agree with Nikki about saying outright no to a teenager doesn’t do anything but get them to sneak behind your back.
That being said, even for me the social online world wasn’t really starting (with Myspace and Livejournal) until I had finished school (and was 18) so I have no personal measure of how much this can hurt a teenager.
Young girls; if you say no to anything, make it incriminating pictures. Especially nude one’s! Of all the rules I broke, nuddie pictures have been something I even refuse as an adult. They will bite you on your ass at some point.
I just watched this and feel quite disturbed by it. I’m not oblivious to the fact that teenagers get up to all sorts of things but sadly this was a very frank reminder. I feel grateful for your insight Nicole.
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