Teach technology, but also right from wrong

W

e are a society firmly in the grasp of technology. That, no one can deny. As we move into this new century computers which neither think nor feel handle more and more tasks; they react as they have been programmed to react.

And so, to face this new millennium, our children must be taught to use the tools of their time. They are surrounded by computers now and will be for the rest of their lives.

Time, effort and resources are expen-ded in our schools to teach young people how to handle the tools of technology.

We must wonder, however, if along with the lessons of practical use and application our children are being taught about the bigger picture; that there is a right and a wrong way to use technology, that choosing to do the right thing is of the utmost importance and that consequences will have to be paid by those who do not follow the rules.

A case in point is a news story out of Marlboro this week (reported on page 7 in today’s Examiner) in which a former Marlboro Middle School student — who now attends Marlboro High School — is suspected of posting threatening statements directed primarily at three middle school teachers on an Internet Web site.

It is more than a bit unnerving to think that the youngster who allegedly posted these messages learned the skills to do so in school but failed to learn or heed the lesson, either in school or at home, of the difference between right and wrong.

As Marlboro Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Abbott said in a letter to parents concerning the incident, "It should also give us cause to assess the power of this new technology, where virtually anyone can post messages at any time on Web sites. The Internet can be a wonderful source for information and communication. It can also provide opportunities for misguided individuals to misuse this new medium in ways we never imagined."

We have created a technological double-edged sword that holds great promise while at the same time offering the possibility of harm.

Adults have the power and the responsibility to ensure that the computer-savvy members of "Generation C" learn the keystrokes that will bring the world into their laps as well as the moral underpinnings that will help them to distinguish right from wrong.

That is an obligation in which we must not fail our children. It is a lesson that must be frequently imparted in school and in the home so that youngsters have no doubt about their responsibilities online or the consequences they will face when they commit inappropriate acts.