As Paul has pointed out with improved technology, future school shootings may decrease. Will metal detectors be installed? Will all classroom buildings require students to swipe an ID badge to gain access? Will surveillance cameras be places in strategic locations? I do not have the answer to any of these questions!
However, technology did affect the chain of communication as today’s events unfolded. Students received an email this morning informing them of the situation. It also recommended they stay in their classrooms or dorm rooms away from any windows. Updates and instructions were also placed on the Virginia Tech’s website. Parents, students and the rest of the world were able to view these messages from their computers and possibly even their cell phones.
The world watched in disbelief through the many news websites available on the Internet. An eyewitness account was even uploaded to CNN.com from a student’s cell phone. Students who were locked in classrooms and dorms were constantly texting and calling their friends to learn more about the situation. It was reported that cell phone service in the area was slow, but that was probably due to the large volume of calls being made at the same time from the same area. The cell phone towers were probably at capacity.
It makes me wonder, what did people ever do without the internet or cell phones? While people will probably criticize some aspects of how the situation was handled, I think the use of technology was probably very welcomed today. With approximately 26,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech information needed to reach a large number of people extremely quickly and the internet made that possible. Should more have been done? Should it have occurred earlier in the day? I do not know, but I was able to catch up on many of today’s events simply by clicking my mouse and surfing the web. I offer my condolences to those affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
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