Social Networking and Education

There are certainly many potentially negative and/or dangerous situations regarding internet use that all internet users, especially young people, are facing.

I say especially young people because according to a study conducted in 2003-2005, "Young Canadians are more connected than ever", with an estimated 94% of young people having access to the internet from home. (1) This has permanently changed how young people network, for better and for worse.

Question: What are educators doing and is it enough?

One way that the school I teach in has tried to raise awareness about cyberbullying and privacy of personal information is via grade wide assemblies. In September 2009, the guidance department in my school thoughtfully arranged a Facebook awareness assembly for each grade. The presentation was given by a parent who learned about Facebook when his teenaged daughter signed up. In his presentation, he explained how Facebook uses the personal information of members, as well as how to protect your privacy.

After the assembly, I asked students what they thought about the presentation. The Grade 12 students in my class gave mixed reviews. Many of them were very interested in finding out how Facebook gains access to information for the list of "Suggested Friends", and many do in fact worry about the privacy of their personal information.

Having said that, most did not find the presentation informative. The real success of the presentation was the class discussion that it sparked upon returning to the classroom. A large assembly is not the most effective forum for these discussions, however it does give a nice introduction to the topic. As educators, it is important to raise awareness about these issues and encourage more dialogue on the part of the students. There needs to be an active and engaging approach in order to motivate students to take steps to protect themselves on the internet.

Thanks for reading,

Marcia


Source:

1. Media Awareness Network. (2009). Young Canadians in a Wired World - Phase II - Key Findings.
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/research/ycww/phaseii/key_findings.cfm