Rise in US study apps leads to concern over racism, LGBTQ rights, privacy
- The technology can monitor online activity, social media posts and more, to keep youngsters focused, detect mental health issues and flag potential for violence
- But it is not clear the software creates safer schools and there are fears some apps are outing LGBTQ students without their consent, while other apps instil discipline
For US teacher Michael Flanagan in New York, the pandemic was a crash course in new technology – rushing out laptops to stay-at-home students and shifting hectic school life online.
Students are long back at school, but the technology has lived on, and with it has come a new generation of apps that monitor the pupils online, sometimes around the clock and even on down days shared with family and friends at home.
The programmes scan students’ online activity, social media posts and more, aiming to keep them focused, detect mental health issues and flag any potential for violence.
“You can’t unring the bell,” said Flanagan, who teaches social studies and economics. “Everybody has a device.”
The new trend for tracking, however, has raised fears that some of the apps may target minority pupils, while others have outed LGBTQ students without their consent, and many are used to instil discipline as much as deliver care.
So Flanagan has parted ways with many of his colleagues and will not use such apps to monitor his students online.
