Ask your students to raise their hands if they have a Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter account. Chances are good that many of them do. I myself have a Facebook account, used to keep in touch with former students, former classmates, and family. While I am careful about what I put up on my site, many do not err on the side of caution. Social Networking has dark sides and everyone needs to realize what they are.
We’ve probably all heard the story about the girl who was followed home by a stranger after a ball game. (If not, here is the link to the story) It turns out that while she hadn’t given information such as a name and address, she had given just enough information in a chat room that an undercover police officer was able to find her. We preach to teenagers about not giving name, address, and phone number to strangers, but what about other information? I used to teach in a small North Dakota town. Many of my former students have various online accounts and share details of their lives, like where they work. With access to the town name and the name of the business, it is easy to find these kids. While teenagers in cities probably don’t have this problem (how many McDonald’s are there in say, Minneapolis?) saying you work for the local burger shack in a town of 800 makes you pretty easy to find. These teens have been correct in not giving names, addresses, phone numbers…but they have made themselves just as easy to find.
The newest rage, Twitter, allows the user to keep friends and family up to date about one’s daily life, including job prospects. According to one example in the article The Dark Side of Social Networking by David Gewirtz and found at EducationNews.org, one such user was excited about a job offer and posted about it on Twitter, along with their complaints about the job, such as a long commute and not liking the work itself. The decision to take the job was made for her when her prospective employer saw her Twitter post and deemed her unfit for the position. Who wants to hire someone who has publicly denounced the work aspect of a position they have been offered? And yes, I said publicly. While the Twitter was most likely aimed towards family and friends, anyone could subscribe and that is what the prospective employer had done.
Therefore, due to the availability of today’s technology to put you “out there in cyberspace”, privacy and safety are seriously lacking. People using these online networking programs should be concerned not only for their safety, but for their future career prospects and reputations. Excited about a job prospect but need to hash out the pro’s and con’s? This is best done over a soda in the privacy of your living room with your friends, not over Twitter for prospective employers to see. Also, having a great time at last weekend’s party is fine, but keep the photos of you running through the sprinkler topless to yourself. Once those hit the Internet they can be hard to stop, and applying for that teaching job or that position with the well-known law firm just got more difficult. Or better idea yet, keep your shirt on.
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I believe teaching ethical use of technology will need to be a larger part of our curriculum, much like reading, ethical use of technology will need to be taught in all disciplines. Too many young people don't realize that their one moment of indiscretion can be captured and distributed worldwide within moments without even being aware of it occurring. I am a pretty private person and so it amazes me that there seems to be this huge desire for everyone to share everything with anyone who wants to know. I am looking forward to any research that investigates what it is that has changed in our society that is making the majority of our population want to be so open about what were formerly private conversations and the long-term impact of this change. I’m sure the research is coming…
ReplyDeleteMy brother inlaw works for the state crime bureau. He has told me some things about the animals stalking our kids on the internet that would make you faint. The internet is wonderful but people need to realize that it has become, in effect, the Walmart of child predetors. these people are smart. they arer patient. They will slowly sneak information out of a child. He has told me he has arrested guys and found detailed notebooks with times, questions, false on line identities - the works. Here's an example - a child starts chatting with another person who they think is a kid but is really a molester. That person will gain te kids trust over the course of months and then start getting the tiniest details. Even things like the type of pet you have, color of your hair, and a ton of other seemingly innocent details. they are slowly pieced together until that predetor has a pretty danged good idea of who the child is, what they look like, where they live, and little things about their lives that will make them easier to snatch.
ReplyDeleteIt scares me to death and I am hard core about the internet with my students. No social networking of any kind. No MSN messanger. No twitter, and I absolutely preach to them about what to do and not do when they are on at home. Too many people are not taking this seriously and kids are less safe because of it.
Stacey,
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems with social networking is parents. Parents are out of touch with what their son/daughter is doing. Many parents believe that kids are only social networking with their friends. Parents need to be educated on the danges of social networking and what is truly going on with these websites.
As educators, we need to educate our students about the dangers of these social networking sites and also how common sense when they are utilizing these tools. Also we need to be sensitive to what is age appropriate information. There is no need for a ten year old student to be made aware of their teacher's twitter account. If a teacher want to use social networking, that is fine; just keep this information to yourself.
Chad
Like anything in life, "Social Networking" via these Internet mediums should be done in moderation. Too many people, not just students, foolishly post all kinds of personal items on facebook, my space and others. Many, even adults, don't recognize how they are compromising themself and others. In the technological world we live in privacy is becoming a thing of the past. Protecting yourself and others is lost in the intrique of telling people about every little thing that happens in ones life. Many people, not only students, need to be aware of the dangers of social networking. Perhaps herein lays an educational opportunity; but let's not lose sight of the god given common sense we all have. Sharing our daily lives with those around the country, even people we "used" to know, carries with it potential danger and harm. Fraternizing with current students and former students can be a problematic. The lines have to be drawn somewhere or there won't be any. Remember, you may not directly send anything to the world, but the world has many directions to find out what you sent; and that includes co-workers, employers, friends, family, strangers and enemies.
ReplyDeleteI too have a Facebook Account but use it with caution. I have heard of employers looking at employees Facebook Accounts. As I post anything on my site, I am always thinking in the back of my head is what I am posting appropriate? I barely post any pictures of myself because I think anything you post is permanent. There are pictures or things written on other peoples pages that I think one day could possibly get them in trouble. Unfortunately, one of the teachers I use to work with got himself in real trouble with using a social networking site. He was soliciting a minor with knowing it and eventually got caught by the police. He lost his job and his after school job, which was also working with kids, and ruined his reputation. Besides that, he lost most of his friends and respect that many people had for him because he was a good teacher and was even department head. Its scary what is out there and you always have to look out for yourself. Social networking sites are a great way to keep in contact with old friends and family, but you must watch what you do and what you say because one day, a skeleton might come out to get you.
ReplyDeleteAhh social networking! There are some seriously positive and powerful aspects of social networking. Our students are engaged in this because it is second nature to them. It can be very scary from the outside and from the inside they cannot see the risks. So there are a few things we cacn do. We can completely encourage them to not do anything online social networking style. We can forbid it and not integrate it in the classroom at all. This abstinence only approach to social networking may work for some. But for the many students who don’t respond to this method, then the other option of education may be better. Education is more difficult, it is more time consuming, more work. But education is the only thing which can truly protect our students. Working with social networking in the creation side of things, it is good to hear the reservations that educators have regarding social networking.
ReplyDeleteI had this exact discussion with some of my High School Juniors who still really weren't understanding why you didn't want to put yourself in compromising photos etc on facebook etc. When I asked them if they would want their mom or grandma to see it they didn't really seem to worried, but when I asked them if they wanted their prospective college roommate who had never met them to form their opinion of them based on their facebook page their opinion changed. I think that forever teenagers have felt invincible--I don't think the internet changes that feeling but almost increases it.
ReplyDeleteI have stayed out of these sites but I have been very tempted to join. The only reason I haven't is because my wife has one and I just look over her shoulder at anything interesting she finds. Another "dark side" of these sites is how your friends post info about you on thier sites. For example, if you go to a wedding dance a take a few pictures of you and your friends drinking you will probably want to only share these with your friends list. While this sounds like a good idea there are ways that many others will see your pictures. My wife recently was in this situation and she shared her pictures and thoughts with her friends list. Her friends were not as picky and shared them with whoever they wanted. Even though the pictures did not come from their own sites (it came from my wife's) the pictures were still viewable because they allowed access. Luckily, there was not anything embarassing passed along but it came to her as a shock when a different mutual friend started talking about events at the wedding that she did not share first. Her friend saw my wife's pictures on a different person's facebook account. I wonder how many people share things that are embassing with thier friends then find out that everyone can see them. Just another reason I have been steering clear of these sites.
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