Presented by Kellie Smith

1. Online Social NetworkingTaking a Deeper Look into the World of Facebook and University Responsibility Workshop Presented by Kellie Smith

2. Purpose • The purpose of this workshop is to inform university student life staff members of what social networking is, how it applies to today’s college student, what the pros and cons of using it are and how to keep students safe on social networking sites. It will also explore what new roles the colleges and universities are and should be playing in the world of online social networking, as well as the legal ramifications of universities use and involvement in online social networking sites.

3. Learning Outcomes • Knowledge acquisition: Participants in this workshop will gain knowledge of what social networking is and how to apply this knowledge in their career. • Civic responsibility: Upon completion of the workshop participants should know of the responsibility of their universities in matters related to online social networking • Cognitive skills: Participants will have to use reflective thought, critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and intellectual flexibility to think of how online social networking applies to their job and responsibly to students.

4. What is Social Networking?? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc • Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups thus connecting people to one another through others that they might not have meet themselves. • Social networking online is used mostly for three reasons. The first is to develop friendships, the second is to better one’s business relationships, and the third is to find romantic connections with others. • Some of the most popular social networking websites are Myspace, Facebook, and Friendster.

5. How does it apply to today's college student? • * 55% of online teens have profiles online • *Among the teens who have profiles, 66% of them say that their profile is not visible to all Internet users. They limit access to their profiles in some way. • *Among those whose profiles can be accessed by anyone online, 46% say they give at least a little and sometimes a good deal of false information on their profiles. Teens post fake information to protect themselves, but also to be playful or silly. • *Most teens are using the networks to stay in touch with people they already know, either friends that they see a lot (91% of social networking teens have done this) or friends that they rarely see in person (82%). • *49% of social network users say that they use the networks to make new friends. • *32% of online teens have been contacted by strangers online-this could be any kind of online contact, not necessarily contact through social network sites. • * 21% of teens who have been contacted by strangers have engaged an online stranger to find out more information about that person (that translates to 7% of all online teens). • * 23% of teens who have been contacted by a stranger online say they felt scared or uncomfortable because of the online encounter (that translates to 7% of all online teens).

6. Keeping Students Accountable to Codes of Conduct • Suspending or expelling students. • Reported or disciplined students for alcohol/drug violations that were discovered through Facebook postings. • Facebook was used in investigations of campus fights and for identifying students who illegally stormed a football field after a game. • Students have been expelled from class, called before the dean of students, lost positions on the school newspaper staff , been investigated by the Secret Service,and lost degrees all because of ill-advised postings on Facebook. • Facebook and other online social networking sites are mostly used by students however university staff, faculty and administration are also on these sites.

7. Activity # 1 Pro’s and Con’s

8. New friendships. These relationships can teach students about new cultures, ideas, and worldviews. Students can share ideas, events, plans, photos, and themselves to others. These sites allow for self expression and individuality. Pro’s

9. Online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Unsafe disclosure of personal information on sites such as: contact information, sexually suggestive information, pictures, personal emotional information, personal financial information, etc. Behavioral addiction that can that results in loss of performance in school or friendship circles. Risky sexual behavior including posting sexually suggestive photos. Cyberbullying and joining of dangerous communities which can results in a shared belief of potentially harmful thoughts and activities 27 percent of employers surveyed had reviewed job candidates' personal information on sites such as MySpace or Facebook or had conducted broader Internet searches on applicants. Con’s

10. Duty of Care...To Look or Not to Look??? • What is the college and universities responsibility in this new age of online social networking? • Should colleges and universities monitor their students online social networking sites?

11. Activity # 2Discussion Should colleges and universities monitor social networking sites that their students are on? By doing so do they create a new Duty of Care?

12. How Do We Keep Students Safe? • Identify the evaluation criteria for online content by looking for evidence of authority, currency, documentation, and bias • Teach the skills to evaluate websites by deconstructing the source. For example, use of the “who’s linking” features on search engines, breaking apart a website to understand where it comes from • Developing critical evaluation skills that examine purpose and authorship. • In the education setting, students develop evaluation rubrics to suit their own tasks and projects with “to make thinking about evaluation automatic, a habit of mind that is deeply ingrained into the process of information and use in any content”

13. How Do We Keep Students Safe? • Excerpt from the Duke University Statement on Blogs and Social Networking Considerations for Blogs and Social Networks like MySpace and Facebook • What you post is public information. You have a much larger audience than you might be aware. • What you post is going to be around for a while. Because caching and other forms of technology can capture your postings, information is accessible even after you've removed it. • What you post can harm others. You are free to express yourself on social networks in ways that you feel are appropriate for you. However, it is important that you respect the privacy and rights of others. Posting things about others can place both you and your subject in a contentious situation. • What you post may affect your future. There is a growing trend for employers to check Google and social networks to gather information about potential candidates. The online persona you create today may be available when you begin your internship or full-time job search or when you apply to professional or graduate school-even if you think you've deleted it. Carefully consider how you want people to perceive you before you give them the chance to misinterpret your profile and pictures. Source: Duke University Division of Student Affairs 2006, unpaginated Web source.

14. Activity # 3 Make a PSA (Public Safety Announcement) about ways to stay safe while using online social networking sites.

15. Bibliography • Brown, Karen (2006) What is Social Networking? http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com • Cain, Jeff EdD. (2008) Online Social Networking Issues Within Academia and Pharmacy Education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 72. • Finder, A. (2006, June 11). For Some, Online Persona Undermines a Resume. New York Times, 1-2. • Harris, Frances Jacobson.(2005) I Found It on the Internet, Coming of Age Online. Chicago: ALA. • Steinbach S, Deavers L. (2007) The Brave New World of MySpace and Facebook. Inside Higher Ed. http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/print/views/2007/04/03/steinbach. • Swiggum, Karla. (2008) Hyperworlds: The Merging of Generation "M", Information and Communication Technologies, Online Safety, and Media Literacy. PNLA Quarterly, 72, 4-5, 14-18. • Wandel, Tamara. (2008) Colleges and Universities Want to be Your Friend: Communicating via OnlineSocialNetworking. Planning for Higher Education, 37, 35-38