Getting to
Know you:
Brian Clarke
Jahquan Hawkins
Robin Zazove
Victoria Zeter
Discern when, where, and for what purposes is the use of this technology appropriate.
Understand the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of the technology.
Address safety concerns and issues.
Become aware of the consequences of indiscriminate use
Teach use of built-in features such as security setting
Establish social connections with students at your school and at institutions across the country
Connect with like minded individuals, and individuals with similar interests
Stay in contact with old friends
Facebook and similar websites can become a major distracter from academics.
There are limited hours in a day. Time spend online is time taken away from study, extracurricular activities, and other social interactions
Students have the opportunity to isolate themselves from opinions and ideas that are challenging or make us uncomfortable.
Students can isolate themselves from people who they feel they would rather not know.
Students social skills may suffer.
Individuals can avoid the discomfort of real-life social interactions
Use caution when posting personal information.
Information of a personal nature can make students vulnerable to predators.
Students online disclosure of illegal activities, such as substance abuse, can be used if students come under investigation for related offenses.
Potential employers may use facebook to discover information about students
Encourages “egocasting”
Student use stereotypes to describe themselves
The information posted may be false and/or misleading
Advertisers and marketers may gain the ability to tap into more information about individuals than they have ever had.
Student government can share information and keep students up to date on campus issues
Student organizations can advertise and connect with among each other and with their members
Increase faculty/ student interaction
Diversity University
Orientation 2006
Facebook is an online social community for college students.
Started in 2004 by students at Harvard
University
Currently used by more than 11.1 million students
9 th most visited site on the internet. 250 million hits every day
Used by 85%of students at more than
2,000 colleges
Only those with email address ending with .edu can register, including students, staff, faculty, campus police
Facebook is NOT affiliated or operated by university officials
Users can post photo and personal information like major, classes, interests, involvements, etc.
Facebook can be as much of a tool as a distraction from classes and face to face interactions.
75% of students sign in at least once every 24 hours
Average user logs in 6 times per day
Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy when creating an account to know your rights and responsibilities
Send email to host instructing them not to share your information with third parties
Browse the site to adjust privacy settings (ie who can view your profile, what information is public, etc)
Do NOT post information that you do not want
anybody to have access to.
• Cell phone numbers
• Residence hall rooms/address
• Class schedules
Your profile is a social resume that can have both positive and negative effects.
On-campus employers and offcampus employers can and do look at profiles when hiring student employees in some cases.
Be cautious when posting pictures or information that involve illegal activities (ie underage drinking, parties, drugs, etc).
Although the 1 st amendment allows you to post any information you choose, be aware of the consequences of the decision
• Student conduct policies (ex. picture of keg in residence hall)
• Local laws
• Libel (written representation of person that is unfavorable)
• Defamation (to harm anothers’ reputation)
• Illegal activities (drug use, hate speech, etc)
Create awareness of what Facebook is.
Identify what constitutes a ‘good’
Facebook page.
Highlight benefits to having a Facebook page.
Identify behavior which is considered detrimental or undesirable while using
Facebook.
Create awareness of consequences for lewd behavior while using Facebook
Q: How long has The Facebook been in existence?
A: 2 years. Facebook was created in
February of 2004?
Q: How many users does The
Facebook have worldwide?
A: The Facebook has roughly 9.4
Million users worldwide
T/F
There is a high school version of The
Facebook?
A: True; The high school version was launched in September 2005
Q: Can I sign up for The Facebook using my personal email account?
A: Accounts can only be set up using an .edu email address
Q: Is The Facebook all fun and games?
A: Facebook serves many practical purposes. The Facebook can be used as a website, a directory, an online community, an expression of self, a social calendar and an information network.
Q: Can anyone view my profile on
The Facebook?
A: If you do not designate, while setting up your privacy restrictions,
‘who can see you in a search’ or ‘who can see your profile’, anyone on The
Facebook can view your profile.
Q: How do old friends find me on The
Facebook?
A: A user can search for people they know and request to be their friend.
Once the invitation is accepted, the new friend can then view your page.
Q: How often do college students utilize The Facebook?
A: 65% of users log on daily; 85% log on at least once a week; 93% log on at least once a month.
Q: How aware are colleges/universities of
The Facebook?
A: Colleges and universities are very aware of The Facebook. Orientation
Leaders and RAs are now hosting workshops on how to protect yourself on facebook. In addition, campuses have begun to use The Facebook in the discipline process, holding students accountable for lewd pictures, quotes and party RSVPs .
Q: So what’s the big deal with The
Facebook?
A: Although The Facebook has many practical purposes, students sometimes misuse the network by;
• Stalking/sexual assault
• Glorifying sex, drinking (often underage), and occasionally drugs
• Creating negative groups-one representing all
Q: Why are college administrators concerned about The Facebook?
A: It’s how students communicate, it takes up a lot of their time, facebook helps perpetuate stereotypes, it can be used as a tool to connect with students
Q: How are universities handling violations of the student code of conduct on The
Facebook?
A: Universities are handling violations in different ways:
• Banning access from the campus network
• Officially filing violations
• Creating special task forces to monitor facebook usage
• Random facebook searches
Q: How can student organizations positively use The Facebook?
A: Organizations can use Facebook to:
• Spread info about recruitment events
• Make announcements
• Share chapter information
• Raise internet safety awareness
• Gather information on potential new members
• Communicate with members and potential new members
• Contact classmates regarding study dates
Profiles
Students who view faculty/Staff profiles will create their perception of them from what they see
It is addicting and could take them away your work
Using Facebook in any way may cause risk to you and the university
It may not be well received by other colleagues
Becoming friends with the students may be unprofessional and inappropriate
Using Facebook may expose you to evidence of students doing illegal acts
Users of Facebook can post pictures up of you without your knowledge or consent
The university does have the power to monitor what is posted on Facebook
Utilizing a Facebook group as a discussion group for an academic class needs to be monitored by the owner of the group to ensure only comments are specific to the class are posted
Postings to the message board can be seen by all Facebook users unless it is turned off by the owner
Students may use Facebook as the only form of communication
Using Facebook is a choice and is not mandatory to join as a member of the university
Requiring all students to join a Facebook group for a class may be forcing them they don’t have to or want to do
Facebook is not university sponsored, so your actions on
Facebook may not be endorsed or supported by the
University Administration
Facebook is a communication tool that is used daily by a large number of students and faculty and staff could benefit from the ability to reach students quickly, unfortunately there are too many risks involved with using Facebook, and they outweigh the rewards.
Facebook can be a useful way to stay in touch with friends and meet new people in a time when technology is such a popular means of communication.
I did not know much about Facebook until this project. I was not aware of how students used it and how frequently they do so. I now realize how widespread its use is, and given the shear amount of time and energy that students devote to it, it is bound to affect their lives in some way. Whether positively or negatively, this remains to be seen.