I wish I had known of Fred Stutzman prior to HigherEd BlogCon and invited him to present his thoughts on Facebook. Fred “share(s) some suggestions regarding how administrators should approach and understand the Facebook.” It is well worth the read. Visit How University Administrators Should Approach the Facebook: Ten Rules.
Facebook is a bane of my, and other educators, existence. For anyone that deals with computer labs, the site has an addictive quality for students that surpasses crack and heroin. OK, a bit over-stated, but not far from the truth. 
Still, all that I can deal with if I have to on a day-to-day basis. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to make a student close the site. My real concern? The potential for harm that may come to one of my students is what really bothers me. Students are too willing to share any and all information about themselves. They do not take the precautions they should by making their portion of the site only available to friends – people they actually know and want to interact with online. They do not always leave off personal information. They too often post photos that may attract undesirable attention.
We have our own little goofy stories of students posting too much personal info and then having it come back to bite them. The one we most often refer to is the student that posted her life’s activity schedule from class to tennis playing online. She also had her phone number, home address and class schedule on her Facebook site. Then, one day she was stunned to be out playing tennis and receive an unwanted visitor. She reported to her friends that this “creepy” guy showed up at the tennis court and said he found her through Facebook.
My point? We have no idea if any assaults may have already occured via this kind of online stalking. I don’t want any to take place and therefore try to educate my students about the potential dangers. Facebook should be doing it, too. Collleges, high schools and parents – all of us – should be doing this, as well. The danger is too real.
I wonder if any actuarial tables already exist in C-suites and venture capital offices when the purchase or support of a social media site is being considered. The risk is high, I’d bet. It is untested in court, I imagine. Can Facebook and MySpace, etc. show that they have (a) provided enough cautionary advice to users and (b) made them go through enough hoops to assure the users have read all that cautionary evidence? I doubt it. Is it encumbent upon them to do so? I think it is. But, they likely won’t do it until forced to by a court case or overwhelming bad publicity. So, until then, the duty must lie with us to help protect the students.
Read Fred’s article and take it to heart.
Technorati Tags: Facebook, Education, Risk
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Robert,
I agree with you whole-heartedly that it is partly teachers responsibility to warn the students. But students are young adults and must start watching out for themselves as well.
But just here recently facebook has made it even harder for a student to keep his or her privacy. Last week, I think, it added a feature that allows people to tell where he or she is. It is like a facebook away message. Very creepy. I think this is very bad for facebook because it just gives those sick stalkers even more opportunities to stalk.
I am like you, I don’t think facebook has done enough to encourage people to be discreet about what they put on facebook. But at the same time it is the student’s life him do what he wants to do.
Facebook is just one of many ways to find information about an individual. For the dedicated stalker, with or without facebook, finding out where a student lives or works is trivial. I’d argue that the mass benefit of connectedness and community outweighs the potential misuse. After all, it just allows information-sharing, and is opt-in. Caveat emptor.
Wes, it is our responsibility to point out the potential problems. Facebook and MySpace should be more active in their rigorous attempts to protect users, too.
Elliott, I don’t deny the benefits are there. It is the dangers that worry me.
Facebooks reach within the college population is stunning. They have penetrated the maket so completely that it has become part of the college experience.
Yes, stalkers will find information if they want to find it.
My point is that someone has to be warning those that buy in to beware of the dangers.
And, Elliott, I think you realize that not all students – the vast majority, IMO – are not as aware of the online experience – and the pitfalls it may bring – as you are.
WTF!!!!!
this has nothing to do with ne rules!
take this $#!@ off
(Note: This comment was edited for foul language. The IP address – 170.177.254.60 – for the poster was from the Deer Valley Glendale/Phoenix, AZ School District #97 and was placed anonymously. The email address and web address were fake.)