Get Going Workshops

by Joanne Levy-Prewitt

Students Must Be Careful With Social Networking Sites

If you are the parent of a high school student, you are probably familiar with social networking Web sites. Facebook.com and MySpace.com are the most popular, but there are others that students use to network with one another.

When I was a teenager, I had my own phone, and I spent every night talking with my friends, often repeating the conversations several times, rehashing the day or planning weekend activities. Teenagers haven't changed much since I was young; they are still social creatures looking for friends, acceptance and fun. These popular Web sites provide all that and more -- maybe too much more.

We've all heard about the dark side of social networking Web sites: stalkers, sexual predators, even abductions. But most of the Web sites have built-in protections or "privacy settings" to keep students safe from predators by blocking unwanted "friends." However, students who do not activate optional privacy settings can be exposed to anyone.

While originally designed for college students with .edu e-mail domains, anyone can have a Facebook account now, and many parents are using this site to either monitor or keep in touch with their college-bound kids. Potential friends must ask permission to see a profile, and while students think they are being selective about the friends they allow in, friends of friends can infiltrate profiles, and posted material could become quite public.

When it comes to college admissions, a public profile on a social networking Web site can be problematic. College admissions officers can access unblocked profiles and see or read about their applicant's antics. Though most admission officers think it is a dubious practice to use information about a student that is not part of the application, sometimes the networking sites make it obvious.

Thomas Reason, associate director of admission at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, told me that neither he nor his staff have time to research applicants using such sites, but that if information about an applicant "ended up in my face, it would be hard to ignore." Reason also said that they would not make a decision based on something they saw on Facebook or MySpace, but instead would "inquire of the student to get a better understanding of the situation."

Reason offers this advice to all students: "Be careful. Once it's out there, it's out there. And even beyond the admissions process -- something much more important like work, family and livelihood, it may come back to bite you."

Concern over image should begin when you become a member of any online social network and, for some, that happens as early as elementary school. Citing the dangers of posting incriminating information, some high schools have prohibited the use of social networking sites, and some have even suspended students for using the sites to exhibit improper behavior or criticize teachers or coaches.

Still, despite the obvious concerns for parents and students, I don't dislike the concept of social networking Web sites. Clearly, they have become an integral part of socializing, and I find elements of the networks fascinating, and possibly valuable.

Some students use the sites as a place to meet or talk; others use their profiles as a creative tool of self-expression. By thoughtfully choosing and revealing their favorite photos, songs, books, or movies, teenagers communicate non-verbally, thereby eliminating the fear of rejection or apprehension that comes with one-on-one encounters. Students can stay in touch with old friends, and the expansion of networks helps them build social skills that can be beneficial when they enter the professional world.

However, high school students need to be very careful, not just about their own profiles, but because photos of them could turn up on others' profiles. That's where students lose control; no one knows who might see compromising photos today or in the future. My wise niece, a college freshman, put it this way: "Make sure your profile is clean, and that no one takes a photo of you that you wouldn't want your grandma to see."

COPYRIGHT 2007 JOANNE LEVY-PREWITT