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Students use the internet in a classroom.Dinesh Ramde/The Associated Press

The auditorium of a Kamloops, B.C., secondary school was filled to capacity Monday night as anxious parents received a crash course in social media and how its misuse could change the lives of their teenagers.

Mounties and the Kamloops-Thompson School District called the meeting after an investigation was launched earlier this month into several students, accused of sharing inappropriate material online.

Social media expert Jesse Miller told parents they must warn their children about the consequences of unacceptable online behaviour.

He says those repercussions can include being thrown out of school, stripped of a scholarship, or even having the incident affect future employment.

Corporal Bob Jones says the gathering was an important education for many families.

Police have released few details of the incident that sparked Monday's meeting, but Corp. Jones says charges being considered against some teens could range from uttering threats to intimidation or making and distributing child pornography.

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