“Pause before you post,” urged North Haven High School (NHHS) students in a video they created for classmates on safe social networking practices.

The maxim, borrowed from a national campaign on internet conduct, joined numerous other useful suggestions in a 10-minute film shown in the NHHS auditorium to local teens during advisory period on April 27. Participants in NHHS library and media administrator Elsa Ruoff’s independent media club crafted the video, which addressed potential pitfalls related to computer use and technology for today’s youth, such as improper behavior on Facebook, Twitter, Formspring and cell phones.

“I hope they listened,” said senior Bryan Sorrentino, video director, “just so they can understand the effects of cyber-bullying, or the embarrassment caused by texting naked photographs to each other.”

“Even if just 10 students walk away thinking differently, and I had that impact on them, that makes me feel good that I protected them from self-hurt,” he continued.

According to the video, boys and girls must understand that posts on social websites are “digital footprints that can never be deleted,” as echoed by NHHS library/media teacher Justin Falcon.

“Kids don’t realize how public all the information they put online is,” he said. “Facebook came around when I was in college. These kids have had Facebook since they were 12 years old. Because their maturity levels are lower, they don’t understand what it means when they post.”

“I teach them that they have a regular reputation and a digital reputation,” he added.

Narrated by media class members, the video offered strategies for generation of good digital reputations, including creation of positive content, staying under the radar, never posting when in an emotional state of mind and not clicking “send” if doing so would cause humiliation for family or friends or attract law enforcement attention. Anonymous comments on Formspring or similar sites can be traced back to their originator, video narrators said.

“What’s great about this is that this information is going from kid to kid,” said NHHS principal Dr. Russell Dallai. “When we do it, it could be dismissed as old-fashioned. Most adults are not as well-versed in social networking.”

“The reality is that this is now a part of our everyday culture,” he added.

As with any new technology which becomes engrained in modern life, negatives exist. Cyber-bullying has led to children’s suicides in America, with some harassment perpetrators receiving felony charges. “Sexting” — the act of texting a nude photograph or lewd message from one cell phone to another — affects youths nationwide.

“Females in school will feel pressured to send these photos,” Sorrentino said.

Further promoting appropriate cellular and online behavior, Sorrentino and others who worked on the video taped up a “pause before you post” pledge sheet in the NHHS cafeteria, which will hold signers to act considerately.

NHHS guidance counselor Laurie Magoveny, who oversees monthly advisory activities, said the video, the third made by Ruoff’s club, took 15-20 hours in production. Past film topics were “diversity” and “responsible choices.” “The kids create storyboards, and from there they create and bring their ideas to life,” Magoveny said. “They’re amazing kids.”

“We’re going keep all their videos and show them to freshman next year,” she added. “The idea is to grow a bank of different videos for the kids.”

Sorrentino said additional media class pupils who helped included senior Vincent Provenzio, junior J.P. DeVeglia, senior Zabrina Roman, sophomore Michael Weymann and junior Chanelle Roach.