KCRA Channel 3 last night aired a report on “fades” or recorded fistfights.
Although the report focused on Natomas-area schools, youngsters recording their own fights and posting them on You Tube is not an isolated phenomena. An incident in April made national headlines when a group of Florida teenage girls beat up a classmate and taped it.
Law enforcement and school officials have long been aware of this trend. One Natomas school official told THE BUZZ students have been expelled based on video footage.
Parents should be aware that youngster’s cell phones are not just for making calls. And it’s not just high school-age students making these videos — THE BUZZ has seen some filmed by middle schoolers and charter school students.
I am a Natomas Unified teacher and I’ve seen some of these online for months. Sometimes they are staged, sometimes they are real…but what’s more disturbing than seeing real or phony fight participants is seeing the rooting sections egg the combatants on. I am all for using the videos to show parents their children in action and as grounds for disciplinary action.
We have to talk to the students about WHY these videos (real or fake) are harmful, work with parents on being more vigilant in monitoring their children’s tech lives, and at the root, work on providing enough after school and in-school interesting activities to keep the otherwise idle hands and minds busy.