Talking Out of School

“While her family slept, Madi had texted a friend that she planned to overdose on her anxiety medication. That information shot to the school’s head counselor, who sent it to the police. When Ms. Cholka and the officer reached Madi, she had already taken about 15 pills. They pulled her out of bed and rushed her to the hospital.” The NYT (Gift Article) on surveillance technology that is put on student Chromebooks to altert schools when students mention self hard. Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens. “Millions of American schoolchildren — close to one-half, according to some industry estimates — are now subject to this kind of surveillance, whose details are disclosed to parents in a yearly technology agreement. Most systems flag keywords or phrases, using algorithms or human review to determine which ones are serious. During the day, students may be pulled out of class and screened; outside school hours, if parents cannot be reached by phone, law enforcement officers may visit students’ homes to check on them.”