WellNotes

Welcome to WellNotes. WellNotes covers college related health and wellness topics on a semi-monthly basis.

Facebook and Other Online Social Networks

In this edition of WellNotes, we will explore the world of cyberspace, specifically online communities such as the Facebook and MySpace. While Facebook might be a good way to stay connected with friends and classmates, most students understand that these communities are not private, and that just about anyone with a computer can access profiles, including friends, family members, staff, faculty, potential employers, and people with less than friendly intentions. The Facebook does have added security by requiring an “.edu” email address to log on, however, as you will see below, this feature is not as limited as it appears.

A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education raises the current controversy that Facebook is planning to open its membership to all computer users, on campuses and off (Read, 2006). Initially, Facebook only allowed people with a valid college email address to register, but the network has recently “opened its membership to employees at a handful of well known companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and PricewaterhouseCoopers” (Read, 2006). Opening its membership to all computer users means that the site will create networks for 500 geographic regions that will be open to any registrants, according to The New York Times. Personal profiles will be visible to all other users from the same region (Read, 2006).

In another Chronicle article an associate dean of students at Purdue University stated, “One of my students worked as a summer intern, and her job was to check out Facebook profiles of potential employees and rank them from 1 to 10” (Read and Young, 2006). Another administrator noted that employers at a job fair paid a student to print out the Facebook profiles of all interviewees.

Risks

• The ‘.edu’ access to the Facebook site may give students a false sense of security
• There are hundreds of thousands of active “.edu” email addresses of current students and alumni in just the United States and many of them can gain access to your site
• Some colleges and universities will grant free email addresses to alumni; however, they do not always follow-up to check whether the individual is an actual alum, making it relatively easy to create false “.edu” accounts to gain access Facebook.
• Other social networking sites such as: myspace.com, friendster.com, and xanga.com offer even less security and protection because they have complete public access and are open to ANY person

Real Life Examples

1. A student at Oklahoma State University posted an unfavorable comment about President Bush and was investigated by the Secret Service.
2. A student at Fisher College in Boston was expelled for his online critique of a campus police officer.
3. University of California officials said they could discipline students that live on campus for photographs and information posted that is evidence of illegal activity like drinking in dorms.
4. Northwestern University’s Women’s Soccer team was temporarily suspended for photos of an “initiation” party posted on the web, then re-posted by badjocks.com.

The Facebook at LC

As the examples above demonstrate, students are getting in trouble with college administrators for incriminating and inappropriate information or pictures on their Facebook profiles that are violations of school policy or the code of conduct. A PioLog article from last spring (Josh Silverman) presents the controversy at LC in relation to privacy and violations of policy, pitting students against Residence Life administrators. “Resident Director Jenn Crowder said that while many in Residence Life use Facebook to match names with faces or programming advertisement, they do not monitor it” (Silverman). There is concern among some students that the administration is monitoring Facebook in order to discipline students. While this is a legitimate concern, administrators are not monitoring Facebook; however, if information or pictures on a student’s account that violate policy are brought to their attention or are reported to them, they will follow up and investigate further.

Students should be aware of the message profiles are giving, and ways in which it may be misunderstood, and promote risky behavior. It is important to think about how you are representing yourself on Facebook, especially since it is broadcasted at a higher capacity than many of us are aware of.

Compromising and inappropriate pictures, statements or other information on student Facebook accounts can hurt students’ chances to gain (or even be considered for) employment. Employers take the images that students are portraying on Facebook very seriously as a reflection of personal character. Students should not post anything on their Facebook that they wouldn’t intend parents, potential employers, school administrators or professors to see.

Benefits

In another PioLog article from last semester, Sarah DiSabatino highlights the positive aspects of Facebook. It is considered a social networking site and, if used as such, can be a good way to make connections with people who have similar interests and goals. Facebooking can be a way to connect with or “meet” people that a student may not have had the opportunity to before, including other students, staff, faculty and even alumni.

Facebook offers campus surveys, event listings and other information that communicates the “pulse” of a campus culture. Therefore, Facebook can be a great way to understand and stay connected to one’s campus community as a whole.

Facebook offers advertising to its subscribers. Whether a student creates a “party” for an upcoming event or pays the $5 for 10,000 “hits” for an ad, Facebook is a GREAT way to advertise as a student organization, club, team, etc.

From a career services point of view, counselors might use Facebook as a way to demonstrate how networking skills can be transferred to the job search process. Facebook profile can better be used to link up to other students with employment leads and ideas.

Most importantly, Facebook offers students the opportunity to create a positive self-image. Facebook profiles give students a chance to create the image of themselves that they want people to see by putting their best qualities “out there.” This shows that students care about their reputations and (to a certain extent) what people think about them, whether it is their peers, college faculty and administrators, or future employers.

Helpful Hints to Stay SAFE and be PREPARED

Evaluate your Facebook account and postings. How do you feel about your employers or professors seeing what you have posted? How about your parents or grandparents?

Do not post private information such as: cell phone, address, class schedule, social plans, etc. UNLESS you are prepared for anyone to find you/track you down, any time of the day or night.

Utilize the “Privacy” settings on your Facebook account. You can adjust your privacy settings to control who has access to your personal information. Though, determined computer users may find a way around those settings. They are not fool-proof.

Google yourself to see how your name or identity is being used, and do this regularly.

Be prepared to answer questions about your Facebook account, or online activities in job interviews. It has become common for interviewers to ask applicants about their social network accounts. BE PREPARED to either decline the question or answer honestly because employers will most likely look at your Facebook account themselves. Or already have.

Alcohol & Sex

For more information on alcohol use, sex, and the combination of the two, checkout the archived WellNotes on the top right of this page.