Facebook Do's and Don't's
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Do… 1. Use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and make new ones. 2. Use Facebook to create your best image, since anyone with access to an “.edu” account can see your page. Google yourself every once in a while to check on your public image. 3. Use Facebook to get involved with the campus community and learn what’s happening. 4. Use Facebook to advertise your organization’s events. 5. Use Facebook’s privacy settings on your account to monitor who can look at your profile. 6. Use Facebook’s customer support page since it contains valuable information about privacy controls and other important safety information. 7. Use good judgment with your facebook account and postings! What do you want future employers, administrators, faculty, and maybe even your parents to see? 8. Remember that the administrators are not monitoring Facebook, but may act on any violations of law or University policy if brought to their attention. Just because you don’t want them to look at your page doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t. Don’t… 1. Post overly personal information like cell phone numbers, dorm address, class schedule, etc. unless you feel comfortable being contacted by strangers. Students have been stalked by uninvited viewers of their Facebook pages when they posted overly personal information. 2. Post pictures of your friends without their permission. It may be considered a legitimate invasion of their privacy, or may jeopardize their chances for a job, or their scholarships. 3. Think that just because you have to have an “.edu” account, that you are safe from any harm or consequences for the content of your page. 4. Forget that once you post something, it may live forever, even if you take it down. 5. Think that Facebook is the only website of concern. These same principles apply to MySpace.com, Friendster.com, etc… 6. Be afraid to get creative with your profile. Have fun and express yourself legally and responsibly. There are plenty of ways you can create a positive self image. You can impress your peers and community members and abide by all university policies and laws! What you need to know about FACEBOOK: Some of the DANGERS… 1. 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 alumni – therefore, making it relatively easy to create false “.edu” accounts on Facebook and gain access to the site. 2. 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. 3. Students can be stalked by strangers (or even acquaintances) because of the detailed and specific information students post on Facebook (i.e. phone numbers, addresses, class schedules, social plans, etc.). 4. Students are getting in trouble with University administrators for incriminating and inappropriate information or pictures on their Facebook profiles that are violations of school poliby or the code of conduct. (note: 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.) 5. Students are being turned down by employers for jobs, internships and even interviews because of the information employers are finding out about students on their Facebook accounts. • 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. Some of the BENEFITS… 1. Facebook is considered a social networking site and, if used as such, can be a good way to make connections with people with 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. 2. Thanks to Facebook, meeting someone in person has become a thing of the past. Instead of a handshake or a “what’s up?” students are now “poking” each other. Making friends is as easy as “Facebooking” – it can create new friendships and renew old ones. Thus, meeting people and staying connected with classmates and friends is a major benefit of Facebook. 3. Facebook offers campus surveys, “party” or 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. 4. 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. 5. Most importantly, Facebok offers students the opportunity to create a positive self-image. Facebook profiles gives 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 its their peers, University faculty and administrators, or future employers. Helpful HINTS to STAY SAFE and BE PREPARED… 1. Evaluate your Facebook account and postings – how do you feel about your employers seeing what you have posted? How about your parents or grandparents? 2. 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. 3. Utilize the “privacy” settings on your Facebook account – you can adjust your privacy settings to as to control who has access to your personal information. 4. Google yourself to see how your name or identity is being used. 5. SUBSCRIBE to pubsub.com to keep track of your name and identity on the web. 6. Be prepared to answer questions about your Facebook account in job interviews. It has become common for interviewers to ask applicants “Are you on Facebook” and “What is on your Facebook profile?” BE PREPARED to either decline the question or answer honestly because employers will most likely look at your Facebook account themselves…or already have. |