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Facebook, MySpace, & ProfessorsShould College Instructors Have Social Networking Pages?
Look -- it's a friend request from your physics professor! Is this a good idea? Here are some reasons for and against social networking for college instructors.
So should professors and college instructors have Facebook and MySpace pages – and if so, should they invite their students to be their “friends"? As more and more instructors find their way onto the world of social networking, this question is becoming common. Here are some reasons why teacher involvement in social networking is a good idea – and some reasons why it’s not. Arguments for Why Professors Should be on Facebook and MySpaceOne argument in favor of teacher participation on Facebook and MySpace is this: it’s important for students and teachers to get to know each other. No, this doesn’t mean they should be BFFs and share secrets. However, the classroom environment does flourish when teachers and students feel comfortable with each other, and Facebook and MySpace can foster this. Social networking with a teacher can help students feel like they're more than a number. In addition, Facebook and MySpace participation can be helpful so that teachers can get a feel for student culture. No, it’s probably not a good idea for a teacher to show up at a drunken student party to learn more about student life. But by participating on Facebook and MySpace, teachers can become familiar with an important aspect of the everyday life of students. One great thing about Facebook and MySpace is that it allows teachers and students to keep in touch after the semester ends. Teachers and students who shared a nice connection will enjoy keeping tabs on one another. And if students need a letter of recommendation, the teacher is right there to ask. Another argument in favor of teachers on Facebook on MySpace is simply this: is it really such a big deal? Everyone’s on Facebook or MySpace. Your mother might even have a page. So does it really matter if your professor is one of your 6,584 friends? Arguments for Why Professors Shouldn’t Be on Facebook and MySpaceWhen a teacher participates on MySpace or Facebook, boundary issues can arise for both students and teachers. Students are accustomed to revealing personal (and sometimes too personal) things about themselves on these sites, and if a teacher’s around, this can get pretty uncomfortable. And the same is true for teachers, who might not want students to read details about their lives either. It comes down to this – students and teachers probably shouldn’t be real life friends because this crosses an inappropriate boundary. Perhaps being a Facebook or MySpace friend is too close to the real thing. In addition, when teachers join Facebook or MySpace, uncomfortable "add" situations can result. If a professor wants to add a student, and the student isn’t comfortable with this, saying “no” to a person who has the power to grade you may be unfair. And if a professor doesn’t want to add a student, this could hurt the student’s feelings. Teacher/Student Social Networking EtiquetteIf teacher want to be on Facebook or MySpace, there are some simple steps he can take to make the experience more comfortable for everyone. For one thing, a teacher who uses social networking should be careful about how much he or she reveals about personal things. Drunken photos of last night’s party aren’t a great idea when you’re a student – but they’re a really bad idea when you’re the teacher. And obviously, you'll want to avoid ranting about your students in your status report. Students may want to keep this in mind as well. As more and more people join these social networks – teachers, parents, coworkers, and so forth – perhaps everybody needs to be more careful about how much they reveal. To help maintain boundaries, it’s also probably a good idea for teachers to limit participation with students on applications – at least to some degree. Go ahead and compare your movie taste with your students, if you want – but don’t send them good karma and sushi and other Facebook knickknacks on a daily basis. Students, this goes for you too. Don’t “rock the granny panties” with your professor on SuperPoke. Some professors deal with this issue by having a policy to not add students until the semester is over. This way, a teacher can deny a friend request without hurting anyone’s feelings, and also retain the ability to keep in touch with a favorite student after the semester ends. Teachers, one thing you should not do is add some students and deny others. Playing favorites never goes over well. Case by Case DecisionSo should professors and college instructors be on Facebook and MySpace? Part of this depends on the teacher and the atmosphere of the school. Some teachers are comfortable with a more laid back approach with students, so participation on these websites might feel natural. And some schools and departments are pretty laid back, in which case it might be the norm for profs to make Facebook or MySpace pages. But not all professors and departments are this laid back, so if a more formal approach to teaching is desired, it might not be a good idea to "friend" your students.
The copyright of the article Facebook, MySpace, & Professors in Campus Life is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Facebook, MySpace, & Professors in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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