Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Would you like to confirm
Facebook as your friend?
Confirm
Canisius College
Dan Norton
Colleen Smith
Erica Tebbetts
Reject
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
What is Facebook?
• According to the Facebook website:
“Facebook is an online directory that connects
people through social networks at schools. “
• The “social network” is intended for students,
but anyone that has an .edu e-mail address
can have access to the site.
• “The most visited site for 18-24-year-olds.”
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
History
• Facebook was founded as Thefacebook in
February 2004.
– Facebook (online) replaced the paper edition of
Facebook that students used to receive when
entering college.
• Originally started at Harvard College by
students.
– In the beginning, Facebook was intended only for
Ivy league schools and top schools in the nation.
• Founders were Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo
Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Facebook Statistics
• Over 2,500 Colleges and Universities use
Facebook.
• Over 22,000 High Schools use Facebook.
• Over 12.4 Million Members, and growing daily
(12/2005).
• Ranked ninth in terms of overall hits on the
Internet behind fellow online network
Myspace.com.
• 60% of students log in daily, 85% log in at least
once a week, and 93% log in at least once a
month.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Why Facebook?
•
Students use Facebook to…
•
Facebook co-founder cites Facebook’s “versatility and student's curiosity
about their peers as main reasons for the site’s rapid growth in
popularity. It’s useful and fun to use.”
– To seek dates, new friends, activity partners, or business networking
current contacts.
– To keep in contact with various friends and acquaintances (without trying to
memorize email addresses, etc.).
– Ever heard of six degrees of separation? These sites operate under the
notion that everybody knows each other through five other people.
– To look up profiles and thereby catch up/spy on long-lost enemies from
elementary school and see how they indirectly link to you through your
current network.
– To join common interest groups/communities within the network.
– No other reason than being told by their friends to join.
– To assess one’s own popularity.
– To procrastinate.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Personnel Information Displayed
Personal information is voluntarily supplied by the user.
Information that the user may display in personal profile can include:
City
Concentration
Hometown and State
Relationship Status
Gender
Birthday
High School
Sexual Orientation
("Interested in")
Interests
Favorite TV Shows
Favorite Books
Political Views
Favorite Music
Favorite Movies
Favorite Quotes
"About Me": A short description of the user
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
PHOTOS!!
Adding more to a text profile
• On October 27, 2005, the “My Photos” feature came
into existence, allowing users to post pictures in
photo albums for friends to view.
• Photographs on site are being used in cases where a
student may already have been brought up on similar
charges with the college’s judicial system.
• People see not only the pictures students upload, but
friends and others can “tag” (link pictures to) anyone
(whether that person is actually in the photo or not)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
PHOTOS!!
Adding more to a text profile
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Facebook Terms of Use:
A contract our students don’t read
Facebook prohibits users from doing the following:
Upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available
any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening,
abusive, harassing, vulgar, obscene, hateful, or racially,
ethnically or otherwise objectionable; impersonate any
person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent
yourself or your affiliation with any person or entity;
upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available
any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional
materials, “junk mail,” “spam,” “chain letters,” “pyramid
schemes,” or any other form of solicitation; intimidate or
harass another is prohibited.
- Taken from Facebook’s Terms of Use
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Facebook Terms of Use :
A contract our students don’t read (cont.)
• Terms of Use is an agreement between our students
and Facebook.
• Majority of students probably do not read terms of
use.
• Third parties.
– Facebook does allow you to block specific people
and/or specific information. However, they do
share your information with third parties.
• Terms of use states an account can be terminated at
any time for any reason.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Comparable University
Statistics
• University at Buffalo
– 2,809 Pictures posted and1,640 Pokes on
a single day
• University of Massachusetts
– 3,354 Pictures posted and 2,497 Pokes on
a single day
• Iowa State
– 25,741 total enrolment, 20,247 registered
Facebook users (~79%)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
If it wasn’t Facebook, it would be…
CampusNetwork
ConnectU
Echo
Myspace
Yahoo groups
Google: Orkut
Friendster
Xanga
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Student Affairs and Facebook
“Facebook has truly taken on a life of its
own, and the implications are
significant. The Facebook was used on
our campus for a (successful) student
government campaign. It has also been
used to pursue violations of our code of
student conduct based on photographs
posted by students.”
– Student Affairs Administrator
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Student Affairs and Facebook
“There have been several instances where
during the course of a mediation or
roommate conflict, students have
brought to my attention, or to the RAs
attention, statements or pictures of
students behavior that is related to their
conflict or problem.”
-Resident Director at John Carroll University
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
•
•
•
•
Facebook Issues for Student
Affairs Administrators
Privacy
Addiction
Safety
Judicial Implications
– To discipline or not to
disciple?
•
•
•
•
Legal
First Amendment
Harassment
Stalking
•
•
•
•
Racism
Sexism
Heterosexism
Student reputation
– Public knowledge
– Future
employment
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
“Online networks like Facebook allow high levels
of surveillance…and not just for marketers.
College administrators are known to troll the
profiles on Facebook for evidence of illegal
behavior by students…students might think
they are merely crafting and surfing a vast
network of peers, but because their Facebook
profile is, in essence, a public diary, there is
nothing to stop anyone else—from marketers,
to parents, to college officials—from reading
it.”
– A Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Privacy
• According to Facebook’s Privacy Policy, "Facebook also collects
information about you from other sources, such as newspapers
and instant messaging services. This information is gathered
regardless of your use of the Web Site."
• There is also some concern because Facebook additionally
states that: "We may share your information with third parties,
including responsible companies with which we have a
relationship."
• This means that our student’s “directory” information is being
shared openly.
• Facebook has privacy options on their settings to restrict access
to their profile from faculty, administration, staff, alumni, and
graduate students.
• Facebook makes it difficult for students to see profiles of
students from other schools unless they are direct friends of
yours or they sent the student a message.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Addiction
• “Many students find it addictive, as evidenced by
discussion groups with names like "Addicted to the
Facebook,” which boasts 330 members at Iowa State,
and “Facebook, the internet crack…”.
• Nationwide, “Facebook tallies 250 million hits every
day and ranks ninth in overall traffic on the Internet.”
• This means we need to collaborate with Counseling
Center and other administrators on campus to set up
group counseling for Facebook Addicts and increase
student activities and programs at peak Facebook
times.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Safety
• Students must remember to log off of their online
community groups in public computer labs, because
the next user could easily access their
profile/messages/etc.
• Students need to be cautious about where they leave
their passwords because they could be victims of
identity theft.
– If left by computer, it is easy to find them.
• Users should avoid using passwords that can be easily
guessed.
– Mother’s maiden name, pets name, birthday, etc.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Judicial Implications:
To discipline or not discipline based on a
“Facebook incident”
• “Colleges and universities have admitted to taking
actions against students for incriminating pictures
and comments.”
– Photos are used.
• “At Penn State University, 50 students were disciplined by
campus police after being tagged in photos of a group.”
– Content of profile is used.
• “A first year student was investigated by the Secret Service
after posting the comment, ‘ We could all donate a dollar and
raise millions of dollars to hire an assassin to kill the president
and replace him with a monkey.’”
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Legal Issues
• “It is always helpful to law enforcement when people
breaking the law document their criminal activity.”
(i.e. Photos of underage drinking)
• If there is a legitimate request from a law
enforcement agency, administrators typically hand
over Facebook profiles.
• Legal issues that are involved in Facebook are
contractual agreements, First Amendment issues,
libel, harassment, and stalking.
• In order to make a claim/case against Facebook, a
student would have to go to California, which is
where the Facebook headquarters are located.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
First Amendment Issues
• Students demand First Amendment rights to speech.
• Online content is protected under the First
Amendment, just as long as the message is contentneutral.
• There are, however, limitations of the First
Amendment that will not be protected:
– Limitations are: hate speech, offensive material, incitement
to inflict lawlessness, defamation, etc.
• Private colleges and Universities are not bound to the
First Amendment.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Harassment/Stalking
• To avoid being a victim of harassment,
cyberstalking, and stalking, students are advised to:
– Avoid posting residential address information.
– Avoid posting phone numbers.
– Be selective with the content of personal
information that is being posted.
– Be aware that information posted is available to
anyone with Internet access.
(Taken from letter to all students at the University of Virginia from the UV
Police Department and the Vice President for Student Affairs)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
In Facebook’s Defense…
•
•
“Facebook prides itself in being a positive environment for peers to
safely interact. Unfortunately, however, sometimes people abuse our
site by posting inappropriate content or harassing others.”
Facebook allows users to contact them directly if they come into these
problems:
– “You’re receiving unwanted messages.”
– “You’re receiving unwanted wall postings.”
– “You find an explicit, hateful, or otherwise objectionable profile on
Facebook.”
– “You find an explicit, hateful, or otherwise objectionable group on
Facebook.”
– “Someone has posted an objectionable photo on Facebook.”
– “Someone has identified you as being in a photo that you’re not
in.”
– “You find an explicit, hateful, or otherwise objectionable ad on
Facebook.”
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Racism, Sexism,
Heterosexism…isms
• Facebook policy prohibits any
messages, content or images that are
racist, sexist, heterosexist, etc.
• Certain messages can be deemed
offensive to other users and could
potentially lead to:
– Violent crimes
– Increased conflict
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Students on Display
• A student’s Facebook profile becomes a
representation of a student’s reputation.
– A student’s profile is accessible and
becomes public knowledge.
– The content of a student’s profile could
affect future employment.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
The Public Record
• Media response to news stories.
– Pictures from profile is used in aftermath of
crime/incident.
• Information listed on Facebook isn’t protected
as a confidential student record.
• Facebook representatives have made it clear
that any information posted on the site is
public and students can implicate themselves
with photos and comments.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Future Employment
• “Human resource departments already Google
candidates routinely, to say that it (Facebook) won’t
affect employment prospects is naïve.”
• Facebook profiles are “easy, cheap, and available to
employers conducting routine background checks.”
• Career Services and other administrators should warn
students to remove any questionable material from
their profile if job searching.
– Perspective employers may consult Facebook before making
hiring decisions.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Future “Face” of Facebook
• As Facebook increases (even more) in popularity, the
following is a list of what other features/issues will impact
student affairs:
– More International Schools becoming Facebook members.
– File Sharing?
– High schools- will Facebook affect Admissions processes?
– Instant messaging through the site?
– Advertising
• “The site makes money on advertisements from big
brands like Apply and Tiffany’s because of the huge
volume of students logging on each day.”
– More of a main stream medium for our future students
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Pros and Cons of Facebook:
A Quick Summary
Pros
•Comfort Level
•Common Interest
•Social Networking
•Increased
involvement/community
building
•Increased engagement and
awareness
•Opportunity to address
developmental issues with
residents
Cons
•No clear way for administrators
to monitor Facebook material
•Can be perceived as a
popularity contest
•Increased organization of
campus dissent
•Controversial- allows too much
“openness” for students
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
In Favor of Facebook…
• “From the beginning Facebook wanted
to be ‘gay-friendly.’”
• Student affairs administrators have an
“inside look” at what student interests
are, which makes it easier to program
for students.
• Teachable moments for students about
online etiquette. (“netiquette”)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Opponents of Facebook…
• Facebook is too controversial - It opens
up a host of issues that can’t be
monitored efficiently by student affairs
administrators.
• Students are exposing too much of their
personal lives to anyone and everyone
that want to have access to it.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Impact on Student Affairs
Administrators
“College administrators have embraced
technology as a means of furthering
education, but they have failed to realize that
the younger generation views technology
largely as a means of delivering
entertainment – be it music, video games,
Internet access, or television – and
secondarily, as a means of communicating.”
-A Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C.,
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Student Affairs Concerns
• “Facebook is changing how students interact
with each other but also how student affairs
professionals interact with students.”
– “The impact of student development and
learning.”
– “A students persistence and success.”
– Difference between monitoring and addressing
Facebook.
– Campus safety, residence hall staff, and deans of
students are creating Facebook profiles.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
For Student Affairs
Administrators…
Are you thinking about creating a Facebook profile? Questions to consider:
1.
2.
3.
Should I fill out the entire profile? How much do students need to
know about me, such as my sexual orientation, if I am in a
relationship, or what my interests are? The questions should be filled
out how the person represents oneself professionally.
How will I decide who my friends will be? Some students may
request you to be their online friend, but some of these students will
also have questionable material in their profile, such as photos of
them drinking underage. How will you deal with these students?
Should I join any of the online groups? Some students may ask you
to be a part of some of their groups, what might be groups made up
for fun. Once again, think about how you would like to represent
yourself professionally and what the advantages and disadvantages
to joining these groups are.
(Taken from Wadas, The Challenges and Advantages to Facebook)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Student Response…
First year student’s reactions to having
administrators on Facebook:
“Administrators should be restricted from
Facebook…it’s intended for college students, not
intended to bust people. It’s definitely an invasion
of privacy, then again we’re stupid enough to put
that type of information on the Internet.”
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Initiatives
• Education Programs
– “If done correctly, Facebook (and all online
communities) can facilitate healthy real-life
relationships.”
• Assessment
– Monthly/yearly survey of Facebook usage
• Discussions
– Involve faculty in discussions because students
who use computers in classrooms and labs
routinely perform “a host of activities online while
listening to lectures.” (i.e. checking email, sending
instant messages or reading news)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Potential Policies?
• It is not necessary to create online specific codes of
conduct, because terrestrial polices are also
applicable in the virtual realm.
• Residence Life policy recommendations for student
staff:
– “Personal profiles should be consistent with expectations of
the RA position including role modeling. You may not post
items of an offensive or sexual nature. Depictions or
comments alluding to policy violations are not acceptable. If
you are unsure of the suitability of some material, please
contact your professional staff.”
• Make sure that all policies are reflective of Diversity
College’s mission statement.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Stakeholders
• Facebook affects everyone:
– President of Diversity College
– Board of trustees
– Alumni
– Current Students
– Faculty, staff, and administration
– PARENTS
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
We Need to Educate Students
“I think these online networks are a really
good idea, but students haven’t thought
through how they will use them. They
need to start thinking about the long
term ramifications of what they are
putting online today.”
-A College Administrator
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
The Orientation Presentation
• Departments involved:
– IT, Residence Life, Counseling Center, Career
Services, Faculty, Orientation, Campus Police
• Scheduled events:
– Separate panel discussions on online communities
given to both students and parents.
– Large group activity “How much is really out
there?”
– Small group activities with student orientation
leaders.
– Go over Facebook safety tips.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Large Group Activity: How much
is really out there?
• Supplies: Computer, Connection to large overhead screen,
Internet connection.
• Do a Google search on yourself, member of audience, or already
determined person or topic.
• Ask following questions to group about material:
– Does this identify me or lead to any identifying information?
– Where else does this lead/how can someone else get here?
– Could this make someone feel uncomfortable or
embarrassed?
– Could this be used against me if I ran for public office in the
future?
– Would my supervisor have a problem with what I have
posted?
– What would someone who doesn’t know me assume about
my character from only this information?
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Small Group Activity I
• Facebook Case Studies
– Break up into small groups.
– Each group has a case study/situation that
involved Facebook.
– Small group discuss:
• What they would do in the situation?
• Ethical and morale dilemmas of the situation.
• How they would improve the situation?
– Orientation leader as moderator.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Small Group Activity I
Example Situation
A Case Study:
A young man/women approaches you at a
restaurant. He/she asks you out on date, but
you decline. Later that evening, the individual
calls your room to say “hello.” Additionally,
you now notice that he/she is always around
after class to walk you to lunch or back to
your room. He/she asks to be added as your
Facebook “friend.” What do you do?
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Small Group Activity II
• Each student is asked to write their most
embarrassing moment on a piece of paper.
• The papers are collected by orientation leader.
• Stories read out loud to small group.
• Processing questions:
– Where you embarrassed when this information was given?
– Would you be embarrassed or upset if:
•
•
•
•
Administrator knew this.
Future employers knew this.
Your parents knew this.
A random guy or girl in your math class knew this.
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Facebook Safety Tips
 Do not include address, room number
or phone number in your profile.
 Set the “Friend” option so only
confirmed friends can view your
information
 Make sure that no “Wall Messages”
contain personal information
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Facebook Safety Tips cont…
 Do not post your class schedule, it
advertises when you will and will not be
home
 Know that any pictures posted become
public property
 Password protect anything that you can
(Facebook Safety Tips will be given to all students in IT
information packet and posted in Public computer labs)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
The Tutorial
Purpose:
To educate students about Facebook so they are able to use it in a healthy and safe
way.
Content:
Explanation, History, Relevant Literature, Campus Resources, Quiz.
Learning Outcomes:
– Students will understand the history and development of Facebook.
– Students will learn the potential safety concerns of Facebook.
– Students will be able to protect themselves when using online communities.
– Students will be able to think critically about Facebook and make wise judgments
on what they are posting in profile and what is being posted about them.
– Students will be familiar with the available resources on campus that relate to
Facebook.
– Students will be able to manage their Facebook time appropriately.
– Students will be able to develop a positive Facebook community that will benefit
enriching Diversity College’s campus community as a whole.
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Welcome to the Diversity College Internet Login Portal
Before you long into the network for the first time
you must complete a short tutorial and a quiz.
Please login to begin.
Bill Student
***********
Login
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
H
What is
Facebook?
History 101
Resources
X
Why do I have to
do this before I
can sign on?
Relevant
Literature
Quiz
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Relevant
Literature
1.)
New York Times: In Your
Facebook.com. January 8, 2006
2.)
The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Think Before You Share. January 20,
2006.
3.)
Advocate: Out on Facebook. October
25, 2006.
4.)
John Carroll News Online: Who’s
Looking At You? January 29, 2006.
5.)
The Chronicle of Higher Education:
Facing the Facebook. January 23, 2006.
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Counseling Center – x 8547
Resources
Campus Police – x 2222
Addiction helpline - 555-HELP
Facebookers Anonymous
First Monday of Every Month,
Student Union 523, 5 - 7 PM
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Example questions from tutorial quiz
Diversity College Facebook Tutorial
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
References
Arrington, M. (2005, Sept. 7). 85% of college students use Facebook. Retrieved February 11, 2006 from
http://www.techcrunch.com/2005/09/07/85-of-college-students-use-facebook/
Buegela, M.J. (2006, January 23) Facing the Facebook. The Chroincle of Higher Education 52 (21) [Online
Edition]. Retrieved February 11, 2006 from
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html
Facebook (defined) according to Wikipedia: The Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 12, 2006 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook_
Facebook Website: http://www.facebook.com
Green, E. W. (2005). The Web of Social Networking. U.S. News & World Report, 139(18), p58. Retrieved
February 12, 2006 from Academic Search Premier database.
Hass, N. (2006, January 8) In your facebook.com. New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2006 from Facebook
website: www.facebook.com
Kim, R. J, (2006, October 25). Out on Facebook. Advocate. Retrieved February 13, 2005 from
http://www.looksmarthardrock.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2005_Oct_25/ai_n15893061
Lashinksy, A. (2005, November 28). Facebook stares down success. Fortune, 152 (11).
Levy, J.M & Gonzalez, B.M. Judicial/Legal Brief: Myspace, Friendster & Facebook. (Audio conference given
Tuesday, February 15, 2006 2 p.m. EST, sponsored by PaperClip Communications)
Would you like to confirm Facebook as your friend?
Medintz, S. (2006). Talkin’ ‘bout mySpace generation: Kids’ online profiles can hurt job prospects decades down
the road. Money, 35(2), p. 27. Retrieved February 12, 2006 from Academic Search Premier database.
Rafferty, A. (2006, January 29). Who’s looking at you? John Carroll News Online. Retrieved February 12, 2006
from http://www.carrollnewsonline.com/index.php?id=247
Reed, B. (2006, January 20). Think before you share. The Chronicle of Higher Education 52(20).
Schuman, K. (2006, January 30). Facebook becoming a college norm. The Hearald-Sun online. Retrieved February
12, 2006 from http://www.heraldsun.com
Stars IT Support Center, Tutorial: How do online social networking sites work? Retrieved February 12, 2006 from
http://stars-linux.wustl.edu/itsc/
Studentaffairs.com
Swanson, L. (n.d.) Facebook offers benefits. Dawgnet, Butler University’s Student News Site. Retrieved February
12, 2006 from http://dawgnetnews.com/archive/060129/3462.html
Swymer, F. (2006) Administrators checking Facebook profiles of students. Retrieved February 12, 2006 from
http://www.keeneequinox.com/media/paper537/news/2006/02/02/News/Administrators.Checking.Facebook.P
rofiles.Of.Students- 1595206.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.keeneequinox.com
University of Virginia (2005, October 27). Letter to All Students regarding Facebook. Retrieved February 12, 2006
from http://www.virginia.edu/vpsa/10-27-05_Online_Safety_Ltr.html
Wadas, K. (n.d.) The challenges and advantages to Facebook. Office of Information Technology, University of
Maryland. Retrieved February 12, 2006 from http://www.nethics.umd.edu/resources/facebook.html