Long Beach Middle School students gained insight about internet safety on Feb. 8, when each grade attended an assembly led by Police Officer and School Resource Officer Josh Groshans. The presentations equipped students in grades 6-8 with a greater awareness of proper internet protocol, as well as risks and consequences, and offered advice to support positive, appropriate and beneficial use of digital resources.
Groshans discussed social media, texting, apps and other topics related to the online world. He expressed that even when information and pictures seem limited to a private audience, they can quickly be shared through today’s technology and make their way into the public eye.

Students were informed of laws and the legal ramifications that internet misconduct can carry. Groshans reviewed news stories about teens that students could relate to and how they were impacted by social media and cyberbullying. He stressed the importance of speaking up if students witness something potentially harmful or dangerous.

“You need to tell us if you see something, so that we can help,” he said.

Digital citizenship was a large component of the presentation. Groshans explained it with the acronym THINK, which stands for True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind. He encouraged students to think, before sharing on the internet, about whether these words would accurately describe their post. He also discussed the four P’s; parents, police, principal (or college president) and peers, and asked the students to consider these individuals before posting online.