Digital Citizenship and Digital Tattoos: the honorary practice of social network vs. cyberbulling. 

Young people begin to feel conscientious about their appearance and their place in society as a whole in the middle years and the idea that their self-image can be "broadcast" to thousands, even millions has overwhelming consequences.  Imagine a child who is called a name in the hallways and goes home to find solace on the social media only to find her friends have turned against her.  This could be horrifying and dangerous.  

But there are a number of people in our society who attack others without physical weapons.  They are cyber-bullies and trollers and they are relentless, mocking their peers and laughing in the face of loss of young people's lives.   To me these people live in the lowest part of the house of ridicule and they leave scars and tattoos on people who are innocent and worthy of more than being dragged through the mire of the social media.  

A tattoo can be a beautiful thing, however.  A tattoo can be embedded in one's cultural heritage.  It can represent honor, respect and tradition..  In Western society, a tattoo can represent a beautiful work of art, honoring one's mother, or paying tribute to one's hero.  My hope is that this blog call to mind the idea of digital citizens and the tattoo's they wear, good or bad and how we can tell the difference.  

My first memorable encounter with digital technology was a digital video game console with a glass top, appropriately placed in the waiting room of medium sized family restaurant in Southern California.   I was eleven and it was the late 1970’s.  The idea of a tattoo was passé and men had long bushy sideburns and Robert Redford hair.  One quarter of a dollar allowed me to lose myself in a pixelated desert of bearded rootin’, tootin’ cowboys shootin’ at pie tins, frying pans, and ducks in a row.    An old timey western shooting gallery had come to life before me and I was in control.  The game was such a novelty my parents and grandparents took note and laughed, begging, “What’ll they think of next.”  My grandmother watched as my middle aged father took his turn, asking his mother if she had any more quarters—“For the boy of course,” he said, clearing his throat. “For the boy.”  Naturally, warmhearted laughter filled that waiting room.

When I think of the digital world today, I think of how its nucleus is communication.  Going back to that game console, there was a form of communication.  I, an eleven year old boy, communicated with the computer through hand controls that allowed me to manipulate digital images.  Digital two way communication became popular with email.  Now people can communicate with the masses via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  I, with no marketing skills or networking capability, have an audience for my toddling blogs as far north as Alaska and as far south as American Samoa, a land where the tattoo has deep rooted cultural significance and is a part of the fabric of being honorable to tradition.   

In mainland America the idea of the tattoo is revitalized. While it may seem cultural to Americans, many view the practice of tattooing as an association with living on the dark side, an association with loud motorcycles, drugs and crime.  Indeed the notion that tattoos can be honorable is a foreign concept and in some circles tattoos may have purely dishonorable implications.  However, many tattoo artists are now world renowned, gifted with their own cable network tv shows and sponsorships in magazines and the internet. 

But the human skin has a way of distorting artwork, like a faded Polaroid photograph. Jimmy’s skin is no exception. Jimmy is covered in tattoos, except for his face, which is usually hidden behind a thick black beard.  Jimmy loves to talk about his “living art.” John Wayne smiles confidently there among serpents and gargoyles that leap from his skin.  His entwined fingers reveal an unspeakable message spelled out on his knuckles.  

Once, he told me that he had made an appointment for a tattoo.  Dumbstruck, I wanted to know where it would fit. Marilyn Monroe gazed at Jim Carey from across a shallow pectoral valley.  His legs and arms were like paisley logs of Sunday funnies.  (It’s true.  People that know Jimmy call him, Cartoon.)  There is simply no room for another of Jimmy’s cartoons.  But Jimmy smiled and told me that his The Joker was yet unfinished.  And while Jimmy's tattoos don't bother him.  Many believe that their tattoos were mistakes and wished they had never gotten them.  

In stark contrast to Jimmy, aka Cartoon, I once met an FBI agent who was a good story teller, almost as good as Jimmy.    His subject was tattooing.  He did not appear to have any tattoos, not any visible ones at least. The FBI agent told the story of the digital tattoo. He told tales of how young men and women had forever changed their lives through social media.  Some had found their fortunes through video and song, true.  His tone changed when he told the story of a young girl with a perfect academic record, a girl who was active in the community, who did not drink or use drugs.  She had her pick of schools and full-ride scholarships, Stanford was her school of choice  and she was excited to attend her dream school.  On her graduation night, however, she made one fatal mistake by posing for a picture in which she was holding a bottle of beer.  That picture was later posted in the social media and Stanford officials saw that picture.  They saw that "digital tattoo" and they called her and asked her if that was truly her holding a beer bottle in her hand.  She could never have imagined the Stanford official's reply when she admitted that she was in fact the one in the picture holding a bottle of unopened beer.  What the Stanford official told her was that her admittance and her scholarship had been revoked and that she was no longer welcome at Stanford.  

The agent went on to tell more stories about social networking.  Some kids were bullied.  Some were bullies. Some have even committed suicide. He stressed to our students that everything that is posted on the internet, is virtually impossible to remove, just like a tattoo.   Yes, a tattoo can be removed with laser treatment, he admitted.  However, scarring remains.  And bullying is a digital crime, a tattoo that is dishonorable and almost impossible to remove.  Cyber-bullying leaves emotional scars and those can be most damaging.

One way to combat the notion of a bad digital tattoo is to promote the practice of an honorable digital tattoo. Countering student work against the Hawai'i Department of Educcation General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) is a good way to demonstrate to students that their activity on the web actually matters to people besides their teachers.  GLO number six  is Effective and Ethical User of Technology: the ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically.  At our middle school, children are asked to sign a contract before being allowed to use personal digital devices on campus. The contract also asks them not to take pictures on campus and post them on the social media.  This contract forbids them to use their phones in the classroom or when prohibited by the teacher.  But the GLOs can impact students in many other ways.  They can be community contributors, Quality produces, self directed learners, complex thinkers  and certainly they can be Effective Comunicators if their message is ethical and demonstrates good quality.  As educators we need to point out the GLOs when students are learning digitally.  There work will improve and when that happens so will their self image.  Consequently they will also improve in their grades and ultimately their contribution to society will be greater.  

One way to combat digital crimes is by teaching children to give compliments on the web or to promote their own music, poetry, writing and other talents, such as acting and  film making can be considered honorable as long as no-one is bullied.  Recognizing the dishonorable and not viewing it is one thing, but to tell grownups about infractions that take place could be beneficial to victims and it could help stop something drastic,  like teen suicide.  That is also honorable and it sets children up for leadership.  

Peer editing can be easily set up so that students can log into a blog or a wiki and share their work and edit the work of others.  They can then give their insights as to the issues at hand as well provide direction and help where needed among their peers.   Students involved in such activities are practicing analysis of the text, editing, reciprocal teaching and team building.

Socratic method may be a way to open discussion about digital tattooing and how children can be active in stopping cyber-bullying.  Socratic method could also be done online through blogs or wikis.  What's also nice is that students who don't have the same classes can contribute to the conversation collaboratively.  

Philosophical chairs is another way to get the discussion started before an electronic wiki session.  Students who may feel conscientious about talking in class may want to weigh in on the web instead.   At my school, I tell students who cannot gain web access at home, that they can use the library after school, during recess or lunch or use the class time provided to complete the work.   While I am just getting off to a wobbling start in this process, I am sure I will gain momentum with time.