Friday, December 12, 2014

Informational

Please take a moment to read and discuss with your child.

FYI: This article was released yesterday. Attached is a "Mobile Phone" resource guide that can be made available to parents, which provides some tips for parental monitoring and installing parental controls, etc. http://www.connectsafely.org/mobile/

From the Union Leader:

School official warns of no-holds-barred app After School:
High school students across the state are logging in. 

By ADAM SWIFT
 
Union Leader Correspondent 

PLAISTOW
 — A Timberlane Regional School District official is warning parents about a new social media application he says contains disturbing content.

The app, offered on the iTunes store, allows users to post anonymously on a message board. Hundreds of students from across the state, including at high schools and colleges in and near Manchester, are subscribers, according to the app.

Superintendent Earl Metzler said the After School app bills itself as an anonymous and private message board for schools, but that it is in no way affiliated with Timberlane.

"Some of the content posted to the site is of a very disturbing."

After School bills itself as an anonymous and private message board for schools, but schools are quick to point out they've got nothing to do with it or its content.

The app had raised numerous concerns of inappropriate content and cyber-bullying, perhaps most acutely in Michigan, where one person reportedly threatened a school shooting and where officials in one district successfully lobbied Apple to remove the app, according to reports in Michigan media. 

The tech giant removed the app last week, but it relaunched it, with its developers claiming they had tweaked the software to flag and remove inappropriate content. It was also given a new rating of "17+," according to media reports. 

Manchester principals John Rist, of Central, and Arthur Adamakos, of Memorial, each said Tuesday night they hadn't heard of the app. 

"I'll bet you I'll find out more about it tomorrow," Adamakos said Tuesday night. 

At 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, After School reported these numbers for students "online now": Manchester High School Central, 229; Manchester High School West, 130; Pinkerton Academy, 315; Merrimack High School, 319; Goffstown High School, 120; Bedford High School, 136; Londonderry High School, 179. 

Metzler said not many Timberlane or Hampstead students have signed up for the app. 

"We thought it was the right thing to do to get out in front of this and reach out to parents," the superintendent said. 

Metzler said the application allows for the anonymous posting of pictures and text messages and is marketed as a free app that can be downloaded to Apple devices. 

The app's website, afterschool. com, asks students to enter their email or cellphone number. The homepage features artwork of a tiger wearing sunglasses photo-shopped on top of the body of a young woman wearing a bikini. 

"Although this site appears to involve postings of high school students only, it seems prudent for us to direct this notice of caution to all our district parents," Metzler said. "The information highway has its positive and educational uses; however, there are sites and people who have different motives when it comes to our children." 

The superintendent said he encourages parents to talk with their child about this site and about the responsible and legal use of social media. 

Union Leader staff writer Tim Buckland contributed to this report.

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