Social Networking

There is no denying that, if social networking is not yet a part of our schools, it will be very soon. We can't avoid it. We can't pretend like it doesn't exist. One of the biggest dangers of social networking in many schools is the lack of teacher and parent education, most likely by no fault of their own, in regards to those tools. In the article "Patrolling Web 2.0," Robert Losinski feels our students are using their knowledge of and access to Web 2.0 tools, content, and ideas while parents and teachers watch unknowingly from the sidelines. In Neal Starkham's article, he talks about how these tools and technologies are running the age gamut. We aren't just talking about high schoolers. Middle school students and even kids in the elementary grades are aware of what technology is available, on and off the computer, and have way more knowledge than an adult might expect or be educated enough to deal with.

Are there other dangers that accompany social networking? Absolutely. Bullying of students and staff, inappropriate use of the social network (as large and expansive as it is), and using the social network unsafely seem to me to be the main concerns. Several of these concerns were addressed in a set of articles titled "Headlines Your School Doesn't Want," where teachers and administrators were humiliated through false accusations made using one of these social networking tools. Just as this school year came to a close, I was dealing with a MySpace issue in my classroom. A student in my class received VERY threatening and inappropriate messages on their MySpace account from another MySpace user. This was the first "first-hand" experience I had in dealing with a social networking issue like this. Is there a right or wrong way to deal with that situation? What can you say to the victim and his or her parents to assure them the issue is being taken care of? Is it your responsibility as a teacher to address the problem when it happened at home? What is an appropriate consequence for the student who created the message? How do you look at a class full of students and explain to them the dangers of social networking while encouraging them to use it for positive reasons at the same time?

Several of the articles I read focused on the dangers of what can happen when students involve themselves in social networking. The National Cyber Security Alliance published an article that deals with how to address this issue of Internet safety in the social networking world. It gave tips for parents and educators on how to talk to students about safely and appropriately socializing online. There was also a link discussing how parents can encourage and monitor home computer use. It seems to me the only way to overcome these adversities is for everyone to become as educated as possible when dealing with them. It is unrealistic, and maybe even a little unfair, to think that we can prohibit our children or students from using the Web and the variety of social networking technologies available to them. Parents need to be aware of what is out there, teachers need to be aware of what is out there. If they know what is available, they have a chance of promoting social networking in a positive light rather than a negative one.