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A wave of concern has washed over the world lately. The series of riots that took place in London were spawned by mass organization through social networking sites — more specifically, through the BlackBerry Messenger system (BBM). While London picks up the pieces from these riots, the world is paying close attention to the events that took place.

This includes a number of Indian schools that aren’t about to take any chances of riots breaking out in India due to social networking. As a result, various schools across India have asked top teachers to spy on students by creating fake social network accounts. Once created, teachers add as many students as possible to an account, so that they can effectively spy on all student posts.

So far, students have been suspended from school for poking fun at principals, school districts, and other students. While no mobs have been formed, school boards feel that this type of spying is an ideal way to prevent students from posting lewd pictures, making comments about other schools, and questioning authority. If a student is found guilty of any offense, a warning or suspension may be the punishment.

Some feel that this kind of spying is unnecessary, while others believe that it is the only way to control teens and prevent riots from breaking out. For now, Indian students are learning to screen each friend request in the hopes of not making a dire mistake.

Article Written by Harriette Halepis