Promoted by celebrities such as Christ Hemsworth and Kris Jenner, smart glasses sales are on the rise. And while every technological breakthrough provides opportunities, without proper policies in place to guide and protect students and teachers, the fast pace of this emerging tech may inflict more harm than good.
New research from Victoria University (VU) finds that while schools regulate mobile phones, education policies have yet to keep pace with emerging technologies like smart glasses. Researchers Dr Janine Arantes and Dr Andrew Welsman have this week released: A Phone on Your Face? Rethinking Mobile Device Policy when Smart Glasses are mainstream in Education.
Smart glasses are marketed as fashion accessories, closely resembling brands like Ray-Ban sunglasses. They are also cheaper than the average mobile phone retailing at an average AUD$450. They can be fitted with prescription lenses, further blurring the line between everyday eyewear and normalising covert surveillance.
Speaking of the risks, co-author Dr Welsman says: "unlike everyday eyewear, smart glasses can share our movements and interactions at school with big tech companies."
"Smart glasses are now nearly indistinguishable from everyday eyewear, making them difficult to detect and easy to forget you're wearing. Imagine a student's behaviour being live streamed from the classroom, or a staff member forgetting to take them off on the way home - they may unintentionally auto-doxx themselves, which could quickly go viral. With smart glasses, safe spaces can be turned into public spectacles in an instant."
Although smart glasses provide greater opportunities for inclusivity, such as object recognition for students with vision impairments and reading support for students with dyslexia through voice prompts, they present a real threat to the fundamental protections for students in classrooms and for staff in their workplaces.
"This concern is particularly urgent given the rising incidence of sexual harassment against female teachers and students, and the relative ease with which deepfakes can now be created," Dr Arantes said.
While deepfakes can be generated from any online images, smart glasses enable the covert capture of new images and footage in classrooms and school settings - unlike the more visible mobile phone.
"The discreet design of smart glasses, at a price point many can afford, makes covert recordings less noticeable, increasing the risk of misuse without detection - until the harm is done."
Dr Arantes and Dr Welsman are concerned that without specific policies governing these devices, the potentially covert presence of smart glasses in classrooms will only increase. They are calling on governments to develop policies to promote safe use and tackle misuse of this technology.
"We're calling on government and industry to raise awareness of smart glasses' unique form and functionalities. And to consider to what extent their policies make sure educators and students are safe in the classroom. Smart glasses have many beneficial features, especially for those students with hearing or vision disabilities. However, without guardrails smart glasses and similar technologies, could become very dangerous," Dr Welsman warned.
Tips for parents
While policy catches up, there are some tips for parents:
- Check before you buy - Smart glasses may be banned in exams. Hold off on prescription versions until school rules are clear.
- Ask your school or club - These glasses look like regular eyewear, so they don't raise alarms like phones do. Talk about safety and rights.
- Balance safety with inclusion - Some people use smart glasses for disability support, that doesn't make them a threat. Talk about rights and safety.
