Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Dear Readers, The modern explosion of social media is both a blessing and a curse to our teachers. It opens all kinds of options, for good or ill, in communicating with their students.

Children growing up 50 years ago, lived in a world of playing football, hockey, and baseball on the front lawns of their houses or the streets of the neighborhood. The telephone was for adults and television was three broadcast stations and maybe an independent station or two. Transistor radios were snuck under pillows at night to listen to basketball and hockey while you feel asleep ... killing the 9-volt battery,. I might add.

Relationships with teachers were similarly as uncomplicated. Classes were small enough for the teachers and their charges to all learn everyone's name in just a few weeks. Desks were assigned for the year and school books were stored inside the top, with a paucity of homework to take home each evening. Whispers of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students were virtually non-existent.

Somewhere along the way, we all lost some of our innocence. Even in the middle Georgia area, we hear about far too many inappropriate relationships between teachers and students. We've just seen a few such arrests in the past month or so.

Added to this mix, we have text messaging, Twitter and Facebook. Particularly with high school students, the ubiquitous cell phones and computers mean they have almost 24-7 access to some form of non-traditional mode of communication. Parents cannot be there watching over their children's shoulders every waking moment.

This new world offers so many previously unthinkable opportunities for good or ill. Everyday, we probably see at least some advertisement for an "on-line" university. What many of us might be unaware of is that this concept is spreading to our primary and secondary schools. Think about it. If a brick and mortar school lacks a particular discipline or if a student has to be out of school for extended periods, say for illness or travel, a student can "attend" a class on-line. Test taking and grading can even be accomplished on-line. A world of possibilities opens up!

Which, of course, means that students and teachers will be having "virtual" conversations. Even with the brick and mortar schools, teachers find social media and virtual conversations a convenient and efficient method of communication. If a teacher wants to remind his or her students of a quiz, assignment, or a Twitter message or Facebook posting does so instantly.

The seamy side of this, though, can have horrible consequences. In Statesboro, a teacher used social media to ingratiate himself with a 14 year-old student, eventually having sexual encounters with this student. This teacher was arrested this past summer and is still in jail for his despicable acts; the school superintendent reacted with a "sledge-hammer" by barring all student-teacher social media contacts.

This is an understandable response, but an absolute ban is problematic on so many different levels. First, there are the constitutional rights of the teachers (and even the students) to be considered. Any absolute governmental ban of free speech is frowned upon by the courts.

Second, an absolute approach robs teachers of the power of communicating with their students in their own informal community. It would almost be liking telling teachers they cannot use any inoffensive slang in talking with their students. After all, parents are hardly successful in banning teenagers from Facebook where their friends and they "play."

Third, there is a richness to the internet that offers all kinds of interesting methods of teaching. Suppose a student is out sick and the teacher wants the student to be able to still participate in a discussion class. A live chat or even some type of "Skype" video-connection accomplishes this very neatly.

Clearly, then, this is just another example of the strangeness of the world we live in. The law, and those adopting customs and laws, continue to struggle every day to the newness of it all.

Local attorney Jim Rockefeller owns the Rockefeller Law Center and is a former Houston Co. Chief Assistant District Attorney, and a former Miami Prosecutor.

Tags: schools, social media, facebook, twitter