East Side 5th graders recently participated in a social media safety class. Representatives of Life Choices from Dyersburg came and showed several short videos of young people who have “friended” people through different types of social media.

The short videos showed them making unsafe decisions about meeting those people. Fortunately, these videos involved the children’s parents, who were able to watch how the entire situation evolved. They were at the location instead of the “friend” they were supposed to be meeting, so the children learned good lessons about how this could have ended. I think East Side students will show good judgment before “friending” people they don’t know.

It was a great session, sponsored by Haywood County Schools Coordinated School Health, and there are plans to do this every year.