When the news broke about Lower Merion School District's (LMSD) Big Brotheresque cyber-intrusions into the home lives of students and families, I immediately flashed on a segment of a recent Frontline episode called "Digital_Nation"which dealt with Intermediate School #339 in the Bronx, a New York City school district. How this school had imposed a similar free/mandatory laptop program. The program was proclaimed to have saved the students and the school from ruin.

What disturbed me was the attitude of a certain administrator as he demonstrated the same technology that LMSD had used to monitor student activities. He seemed almost gleeful in his ability to remotely discipline and "channel" online activities of students, going as far as surreptitiously snapping photos of alleged offenders.He wielded this power like a cyber cattle prod. It was shocking and frightening at the same time.

In my opinion, the most egregious part was that there was no outrage at the practice. No how dare they impose a common Orwellian cliche? No "This can't possibly be true"! No shame....

They failed to see and understand the truth behind their misuse of this fantastic new technology. They are so indoctrinated and inured to a surveillance society that they can't even respect the privacy rights of individuals in their own homes.

What is the difference between this technology and 'telescreens'? Not much if you ask me.

These are the rules regarding use of computers in the LMSD.

* Possession of a monitored Macbook was required for classes

* Possession of an unmonitored personal computer was forbidden and personal property would be confiscated

* Disabling the camera is impossible or attempts to do so would be punishable by expulsion.

* Jailbreaking (Taking root privilege of) a school laptop in order to secure it against electronic eavesdropping or to monitor against intrusion was an offense which merited expulsion

I'll leave you to ponder this one and the potential future of our society.