Students, Teachers, and Social Media: Benefits and Drawbacks

1396 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social media advantages and disadvantages for education

The explosion of social media in recent years has initiated extensive debate, especially in education. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have been the focus of these debates. Much of this debate has been generated because of the general lack of education about social media. Because these tools are so new, not much is known about them. One of the largest controversies I have observed in my experiences is whether teachers and students should be friends on Facebook. No one seems to completely understand their benefits or consequences. What are the some of the preconceived notions and some of the options for educators when it comes to “friending” students on Facebook? This paper will discuss these topics further.

Many people believe that Facebook is a simply place where people chat, look at photos and “creep” on people. Others believe that Facebook is an unsafe place where child predators lurk, searching for their next victim. One out of every ten students have met someone face to face who they had only known via the web before (Thomson, 2009). A recent study has also shown that nearly 40% of teenagers have been exposed to pornography online (Thomson, 2009). Alternatively, some believe that Facebook is replacing face to face interaction in people and that people are beginning to use these social media outlets as their only source of socializing with others. There are also concerns that bullying is finding a new form through the means of social media. In fact 20% of teens have claimed to have been bullied online (Thomson, 2009).

What many people do not understand or consider when investigating Facebook is that it can be an extremely effective communication tool. In 2008, when Facebook was just beginning to take off, ...

... middle of paper ...

...es as a teacher to constantly reevaluate and reflect upon their practices. There are infinitely many ways to go about utilizing Facebook with students and teachers need to discover a way that works for them and their students. Teachers need to embrace this change and use it their advantage with their students.

Works Cited

Anonymous. (2008). The Changing Face(book) of Education. ATA News, 43(4), 2.

Roner, S. (2009, November 24). Using Facebook to Improve School Communication. Edbuzz.org. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://edbuzz.org/sroner/2009/11/using-facebook-to-improve-school-communication/

Thompson, B. (2009, December 3). Children Who Blog Or Use Facebook Have Higher Literacy Levels. TechXav. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://www.techxav.com/2009/12/03/facebook-children/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+techxav+Tech+Xav

Show More
Related

  • Use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos on Social Networking Sites

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...own Facebook account and be “friends” with their students to keep them safe like Boyd recommends. Instead, I believe by talking to students and children about how their posts directly impact their reality is a more effective approach in teaching how to prevent and remedy any inflictions that will be caused by adolescent lapses in judgment. Just as my brother has never posted another indecent photo and learned to limit his online profile content, people do learn from their mistakes. Educators should have an open door policy fortified by trust between themselves and their children in order to guide them in making appropriate decisions.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Facing The Facebook In The Chronicle Of Higher Education

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Michael J. Bugeja, a director of Iowa State University and author of the article “Facing the Facebook” in The Chronicle of Higher Education, argues that technology in schools was supposed to have a positive outcome, it was supposed to help students engage and network yet it 's only becoming a distraction. Students are more entertained by social media, and technology than education. Although he concedes that social media is “fascinating” and is a resourceful way for social interaction; he also argues how it has taken a toll on “The Facebook generation”. Technology has begun to limit the student 's mind and affect their academic intelligence.

    Read More

  • Facebook Community Of Practice

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    Whilst Facebook was not initially intended or created for education purposes it has the ability to generate potentials for social learning. According to Pappas (2014), in a learning environment a lecturer or facilitator can create a closed or secret group in Facebook to share course material, pose questions, create a poll to seek feedback and ultimately promote collaboration amongst members. This is also true in the case of the research carried out as part of this project, a closed Facebook group was created and used to share articles, Ted Talks and course material and sought feedback and comments from the participants in an attempt at promoting and encouraging collaboration. Facebook has a number of advantages in terms of social learning in that it is accessible for everyone, therefore,

    Read More

  • Lance Mcclain Short Story

    1885 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lance McClain was a tall Cuban teen with broad shoulders and a big smile. He was one of the many joys in his extra large family and had a heart twice the size of his entire bloodline. He had arms long enough to squeeze some love into you, and he wasn't shy about doing it.

    Read More

  • Negative Impact of Technology in the Classroom

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    Michael J. Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University and author of“Facing the Facebook” in The Chronicle of Higher Education, states that the initial purpose of having access to the Internet in the classroom was to give students the opportunity to conduct research. However, this privilege is rapidly being used as a means for students to not pay attention during class. A poll was taken at Iowa State University where 20,247 out of the 25,741 enrollees were registered on Facebook (Bugeja 1). Social networking sites such as Facebook have had some negative effects in academia such as “institutions seeking to build enrollment learn that ‘technology’ rates higher than ‘rigor’ or ‘reputation’” (2), that there has been improper use of the freedom to use technology in the classroom, that employers and parents check Facebook to see what users have been doing, and that technology is an overall distraction in the classroom.

    Read More

  • Social Media and Cyberbullying

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Facebook and other social media platforms have brought communication across the world to a whole new level. The rise of social media has created a place for children to communicate with others in both a positive and negative manner. Although it has made a positive impact on American youth, it has also contributed and exacerbated bullying in our schools. This new form of bullying, often referred to as cyberbullying, has created an around-the-clock atmosphere where bullying can occur even when school is not in session. Many professionals have sought to address the negative aspects of social media and have worked to develop a solution to bring cyberbullying to an end.

    Read More

  • Social Media Network Technology

    1325 Words  | 3 Pages

    The web is no longer a read only product, it now has the ability to be interactive and particpatory. Users are able to interact over the internet with each other with instant messaging and emails and use social networks to share news, videos, and photos with others, bringing people with common interest, opinions, and experiences together and closer. Some of the most popular social networks include Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Currently social networks are mostly used to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, peers and family, there are far more benefits, that the social media platform can provide. This paper explores the topic of social media in modern education. There are benefits and disadvantages to social media being used in the classroom setting, and they are discussed in detail through the paper.

    Read More

  • Social Networking Controversy

    1917 Words  | 4 Pages

    Did you remember to tell your cousin happy birthday on Facebook? Do you know how many people liked your latest picture on instagram? Or how many retweets did you get on your totally relatable and borderline inspirational tweet? As of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites (Rainie). Also more than 9 out of 10 American teenagers use social media(Blaszczak). Because of social networking we are becoming more connected than ever before. Important information can spread faster than wildfire, and we now have the ability to have friends and relationships all over the world. With the ability to communicate and interact with anyone at our fingertips what could go wrong? Well...lots of things.

    Read More

  • The Power of Social Media in the Classroom

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Exposing students to the power of social media in the classroom is an important part of preparing them to be active and positive digital citizens in a 21st century world. In the last two years, my own students have rapidly been drawn to Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and many other social networking platforms. They upload, share, and connect with others often without any regard to how their digital footprints may reflect them as individuals. Having continuous conversations with students about the choices that they make can lead to positive results. Students don't realize how powerful social media platforms can be in terms of networking, researching, and engaging in academic conversations. It makes me laugh every time I hear them whisper about my colleague Heather's or my Twitter feed. First of all kids, I can hear you. Second of all, yes, social media can be an amazing way to give and exchanged knowledge.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Social Media On Our Generation

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Communication plays an important role and becomes an essential part in our daily lives. Today we have taken communication to new level as social media and social networking. They have had a tremendous impacts on the word, on our culture and in business as well. Social media websites are some of the most popular on the internet, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. They are the places where people can interact with others easily and expose themselves to strangers. Our generation and the younger ones have more opportunities to grow up with the new development of technology that will shape the way they live of communicating and sharing ideas. The social media causes some problems that lead to less social interaction and negatively affect students academic, but it also brings benefit to people that creates new social connections to bring people from all over the world to be closer.

    Read More

  • Parents Limiting the Use of Social Media

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Magazine. The. Ruiz, Rebecca R. Facebook’s Impact on Student Grades. 21 Oct 2011. Web.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Social Media on Children

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is not just an avenue for socializing; kids and adolescents can be creative, interact, and learn (Chau, 2010). Social networking provides an alternative way to get students interested in learning through a new and previously unconventional medium (Rosen, 2011).... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Social Media's Effect on Academic Performance

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    The popularity of social media is rapidly increasing in the last few decades. This may be due to the students of colleges and universities as well as youth is widely used for global access. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have become a craze for everyone nowadays. In these cases, some students are more concerned about social media or social networks than on teaching by lecturers and will cause affected their academic performance.

    Read More

  • Modern Communication: Social Networks

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Supporters of social networking sites say that the online communities promote increased interaction with friends and family; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials. Social networks are now widespread in our world with existing social networks expanding, social networking sites are being created for educators, medical professionals all accessible 24 hours a day via computer, tablet, smart phone, and Internet-enabled devices. Challengers of social networking say that the sites prevent face-to-face communication, waste time on frivolous activity and spread false and potentially dangerous information.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Media In Education

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    The educator can use the social media to get the new knowledge or material before they start in process teaching and learning. When using social media, educators must be able to play an active role in the collaborative process. Educators must not only promote creativity and assess student activities but also inform and clarify misunderstandings that occur involving the content area and subsequent knowledge creation in order to maintain the integrity of the learning environment. The educators or teachers must know how to using the social media before they pass to their students. However, educators are more likely to incorporate social media activities into their classroom that they have created because they are able to creatively control the content that is included; for example, content that may be assessed on state mandated tests. The use of social media must be purposeful and as a result should be applied in situations that are the most appropriate for learning and student understanding to

    Read More

More about Students, Teachers, and Social Media: Benefits and Drawbacks

Open Document