Safety First, Avoid the Worst with Ms. Johnson
You may have heard of the unfortunate death of a 14-year-old recently on the F train. This high school student was riding atop the southbound train when he fell. Subway surfing is not a new thing! As long as there have been trains, young people have been seeking a thrill by climbing on top for a ride. But subway surfing has risen in recent years with NYPD reporting 5 deaths in 2023 alone and over 130 arrests! This has become so common that the NYPD has a drone division dedicated to identifying surfers and coordinating with the MTA to stop the train. So why are more teens subway surfing now than they were years ago? Social media! TikTok, Instagram, and X (Twitter) are filled with subway surfing videos that get many views and likes. Our kids have become so addicted to social media and the need to be accepted by their peers through social media that they have become reckless and endangering themselves. Mayor Adams, the MTA president, and other officials have asked all these social media platforms to crack down on subway surfing and delete videos of anyone riding illegally throughout the train system. So what can we do as parents? Social media is not going anywhere but I think it is important to talk to our kids about what they are watching and how that makes them feel. We need to reinforce kids’ self-worth in who they are and not how many views they get. If we can do this, we will not only prevent more subway surfing deaths but we will also prevent depression and anxiety which have been on the rise among teens for too many years now.
Good luck Parents! We need it!
Theresa Johnson, Assistant Principal
We teach our children about “stranger danger” when they are very young. Every 4-year-old knows that they should not talk to the stranger at the park or in the store. Teenagers remember this lesson well and look at me like I am crazy when I ask them “Do you stop and talk with the creepy, old guy outside of Dunkin Donuts?” But for some reason, once teens are on their cellphones they think it's cool to talk to strangers. Have you heard of the popular app Ome.TV? Many of our students have been using it lately. The app pairs you up to video chat with strangers. At first, this seems like a great way to meet new people. But it is no different than the predator at the park giving out candy to little kids. Ome.TV sets up the perfect situation for predators to groom young teens. All it takes is one friendly conversation and any teen will share their Instagram or Snapchat accounts. Suddenly your teen is being stalked on Snapchat by the predator they met on Ome.TV. Snapchat intentionally makes it difficult for users to know who exactly is following them which is also a perfect place for predators. From Snapchat, followers quickly can find out where your child lives, what school they go to, and where they spend their free time. Predators are no longer at the park with free candy and cute puppies - they are following our kids on social media! Be sure to talk to your children about social media use and know what apps they are using. If you are not familiar with the app check it out yourself. An even safer plan would be that your children cannot download any app without your approval. All cell phones have parental permissions built right in! You could also email me for advice- [email protected] I don't know everything but spending all day for so many years with 8th graders has taught me a few things!
Good luck Parents! We need it!
Theresa Johnson, Assistant Principal
