Classroom live broadcast platforms in clear violation of student privacy
Recently, Shuidi, a live- streaming platform in China owned by the Internet security giant Qihoo 360 Technology, has sparked controversies as it broadcasts classroom activities of elementary and high school students live to the public.
And the videos on the platform are not limited to the classroom, but also show the students’ dormitory life at some boarding schools. From what can be seen on the platform, students’ school life is shown clearly and in detail to all viewers.
The platform has announced that all the videos are shared voluntarily by teachers and schools. It is said that schools and teachers use social media sites like Shuidi to share what is happening in classrooms with parents as many of them hope to learn more about their children, which is conducive to efficient communication between teachers and parents. Especially for left- behind children, whose parents live thousands of miles away, the platform offers a way for them to get to know their children better.
Parents are concerned about their children’s behaviors at school. When I was a teenager, my parents were worried about me misbehaving or getting hurt at school. Therefore, they sometimes made phone calls to teachers to find out about my daily activities and performances in the classroom.
However, broadcasting students’ life at school to the public is overstepping the line. First, it is a violation of stu- dents’ privacy. Many students in the videos are not aware that they are in an online broadcast. It will make one uncomfortable if one’s personal life is under public scrutiny.
In addition, as this was being broadcast to the public, students’ personal information such as their names and appearance could easily be obtained by strangers, and thus, putting the students in danger. The Xu Yuyu event last year, that of an 18- year- old girl who died of a heart attack because she was defrauded of her tuition fees due to the exposure of her personal information, has emphasized the importance of personal information protection. The side effect of live broadcasting is that it can provide an easier way to facilitate criminal activities.
What’s worse, the public broadcasting can suppress the atmosphere at school. Students may feel uneasy when they realize all their behaviors and moves are being monitored. In order to satisfy their teachers and parents, they may try to control their behaviors, which is unhelpful to their personal development.
There are also some people who defend the live broadcasting on Shuidi. They argue that it offers the parents a look into the true nature of their children. Some parents, out of natural desire to protect their offsprings, may think teachers unfairly pick on their children. It’s argued that the live broadcasting on this platform may serve as some sort of evidence of children’s misbehaviors, which can help reduce mis- understanding and frictions between parents and teachers. Nevertheless, there are other ways apart from live broadcasting. For example, teachers can give frequent and timely feedbacks of students’ performances to their parents.
Therefore, the disadvantages of the live broadcasting outweigh its advantages. And for the advantages it brings, there are other ways apart from live broadcasting to fulfill this function. Effective communication between teachers and parents is one of them and it does work.
The author is a reporter with the Global Times. yangchuchu@ globaltimes. com. cn