What Parents Need to Know about Facebook

As you know, today’s students are exceptionally computer savvy and well acquainted with the newest electronic technologies. These students spend much of their free time playing computer games, chatting on-line, or engrossed in other technologically-based activities. On-line chat communities, such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com, have exploded on college campuses allowing students to network with other students from all over the world. Although these websites are not sponsored or endorsed by the College, students access them frequently and perceive them to be an important aspect of connecting with their peers.

According to Dr. Michael S. Bugeja, Director of Greenlee School of Journalism and Communications at Iowa State University, “nearly 80% of students on nearly 2000 plus college campuses visit facebook.com on a daily basis. Facebook tallies 250 million hits everyday and ranks 9 th in overall traffic on the internet” (Bugeja, 2006). These websites help students make friends, form interest groups, and communicate with each other regarding numerous topics. However, students are beginning to experience some negative impacts of these sites as well.

Positive Aspects of Facebook or MySpace.com:

• Students create social networks with other like-minded youth across the world at a click of the mouse
• Students stay connected with high school friends/classmates who may be going to college far away
• Students create a “web-portal” that is easier than learning and creating their own webpage
• Students can safely dialogue on chat/message boards about current issues facing their generation

 Challenges of Facebook or MySpace.com:

• Internet hackers can obtain information posted in profiles
• Chronic use of on-line chat communities can take away from student’sacademic and extracurricular time
• Images and information posted can have negative impacts on students’ image or reputation
• Associations with interest groups can have negative impacts students’ image or reputation
• Danger of stalking and cyber-stalking

Tips for our students when Using Facebook or MySpace.com:

• Be aware of the dangers of the web
• The issue is security. Even your most secure sites on the web can be accessed. Therefore, any information posted may be public record.
• Create passwords that are not easily recognizable
• Create secure passwords that are complex and has no relation to other information that is listed in your profile (ex. Birthday, etc.)
• Limit the information posted in your user profile
• When filling in the personal details of your profile, post only information that is already available in the public domain
• Birthday = January 31 st (leave out year)
• Address = Mt. Vernon, IA (leave out residence hall and room #)
• Do not list your phone number
• Be aware that the information you post on the site will be the image you want portrayed to all who can view the information
• Think about the impact the information posted has on your future
• Pictures speak volumes to your image
• Employers are now starting to look at these profiles when hiring future employees

Advice to Parents:

• Ask your son/daughter to show you his/her profile on these websites
• Talk with your son/daughter about his/her use of Facebook.com or MySpace.com. Raise questions about how he/she is portrayed on-line. Which groups has s/he joined? How much personal information is displayed?
• Emphasize caution with your son/daughter about giving out personal information via the web
• Educate yourselves about these websites by accessing their help and information pages
• If your son or daughter is feeling harassed or stalked by someone on-line, please encourage him/her to contact the Dean of Students office or Campus Safety.

As stated earlier, we do not sponsor, endorse, or monitor any of these on-line communities; however, we know that we may find ourselves assisting students with some of the negative outcomes associated with them when students bring concerns to our attention. We continue to educate our students about concerns regarding personal image and integrity, privacy and cyber-stalking, and hope you will join us is asking students to think about these concerns.

Bugeja, M. (2006). Facing the Facebook [Electronic version]. The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 23, 2006. Retrieved February 6 th, 2005 from http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html