Youthful Indiscretions: Should Colleges Protect Social Network Users from Themselves and Others?
By: Dana L. Fleming
ISSUE QUESTION: Should social networking sites be monitored and interfere with students education?
MY CLAIM: Social networking sites should not be monitored, only if necessary and the information on someone’s profile, blog, etc. should not have an effect on that persons educational career.
Because: The 1st Amendment gives us “Freedom of Speech”
Because: If there is a life or death situation the website should be monitored
Because: A review of a student’s profile may be appropiate where that student is involved in a disciplinary proceeding (443.)
Because: Some schools use material from Myspace and Facebook in their judiciary proceedings while others turn a blind eye to the site (442.)
OPPOSING CLAIM: Social networking sites should be monitored and consequences shall come to the students that display disorderly conduct online.
Because: The dangers of online social networking transcend disciplinary actions and reputational harm (442.)
Because: Nonetheless…we are all expected to behave on campus, in public, and online in a manner consistent with the Universities Honor Code and Guiding Values (442.)
Because: Courts treat people online postings as evidence in criminal procedures (443.)
ENTHYMEME
CLAIM: Students should be allowed to say what they want online and if law enforcement needs to monitor something which will help them bring a criminal to justice it should be allowed.
REASON: They are only expressing themselves, which isn’t inteferring with their education, and justice will be served.
GROUNDS:
Courts treats people’s online postings as evidence in criminal proceedings, and college and university lawyers routinely check student’s online proceedings (443).
It would take a full-time staff working around the clock to scratch the surface of a single network (443.)
A young woman was denied her teaching degree after a fellow student one of her Myspace photos to the attention to the school administrators.
WARRANT: If school officials wouldn’t examine profiles a lot of students would be in a better predicament.
BACKING:
In May 2005, two swimmers at LSU lost athletic scholarships for making disparaging comments about their coach on Facebook(441.)
A chemical engineering major sabotaged his career in a similar manner by confessing in his online bio that he liked to “blow things up.)(441)
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT:
Social networking sites are very popular among our youth today. It sometimes is a way for one to express his or herself. The users wouldn’t think that their post will be seen by a teacher at school and will cause them their scholarship. There are dangers to online social networking. The things that are posted online are out for the public to see and colleges and parents are trying to find out a way to protect users.
Dana L. Fleming is a Boston area attorney specializing in higher education law. In this article Fleming talks about our social networks today that are used by millions. She explains what happens to students when they say or post something that is unsuitable. As a result of that comes a consequence for those actions. These online sites have become a place for predators to trick and stalk girls. She believes that there needs to be a way to make everything more private and safe.
I do agree that students should be allowed to say and do what they want on social networks. Though I also agree that the law should be able to step in and take care of something if needed. Students should not be penalized in schools for posting a inappropriate picture, language, etc. I think it is really none of the administrations business.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, students should have a certain amount of privacy in their own lives but that should not stop the law from monitoring social networking sites. There are many of us who would like to keep our professional and personal lives separate and that I think should be respected. For some, social networking sites at the end of the day, provides an escape. It tends to be a place for relaxing and having fun, sometimes in ways that can be misinterpreted by official institutions as being inappropriate or not upto to certain standards of discipline. This can have a negative effect on a student's career. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech, but I also believe that this right should not be abused. It is the responsibility of the student's to respect the rules and regulations of the institution. Similarly, it is the responsibility of the institution to respect the privacy and opinions of the students. If either of these go wrong, then that is where the law shall come in.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that a students social networking site should interfere with the students education unless he or she is involved in athletics or other school sponsored activities. If the student is in a school organization he or she should be advised to keep images and comments appropriate in order to keep from damaging the reputation of themselves and the team because idealy these individuals are held at a higher standard. I also agree that if a student posts a threatening or harmful comment or picture, his or her site should be monitored and the appropriate disciplinary action should be taken.
ReplyDeletejohn shilling
Student networking sites should be monitored. This could save a lot of people from potentially getting in trouble or jeopardizing an opportunity or goal. For instance if social networking sites were monitored then people wouldn't put up any inappropriate content. People would know they were being monitored and realize its not worth the consequence to make a foolish post on Facebook. Students could stay out of trouble with school. School administrators go and look on Facebook. Students may have a privacy setting allowing only their friends to view profiles but school administrators can over ride that easily. Also, another positive outlook for college students would be getting a job eventually. Seniors in college probably look at their Facebook from when they were freshmen and say..."Why did I ever put that on Facebook?" It's not worth it to go to spend money to go to college and to then work very hard in college and then to find out you can't get a job because employers do not approve with the content on Facebook. Monitoring Facebook does have some positive aspects for students.
ReplyDeleteI believe that students should have their privacy, but if something were to happen that the law needed to be involved they should have the right to be able to see whatever they need in order to get all of the facts, proof, etc. For many people social networking sites help to take stress off after a long day, or just a place where someone can enjoy seeing what people have been up too. You need to find a medium in which students can have their privacy, but also be monitored when needing so.
ReplyDeleteI think that social network sites should not be monitored by the school the person attends. School and your personal life should never be one. Many need privacy and like stating above it is affecting our Freedom of Speech. Though the law should be involved in monitoring just for the safety for the people of the world because Freedom of Speech can turn ugly sometimes. I do agree that is okay for companies to look out for new employees though. This should be acceptable because these people need to be seeing a better look at their future employees. Social networking gives them a better look at the personalities and values of their potential new work force. All in all if you think a post, picture, etc. is going to affect your future in someway then you should not be allowing this act to go on. Social network users should be seriously watching their pages for any risky behavior.
ReplyDeleteI believe that social networking sites are a part of a student's personal life. It would be nice to be able to live by the idea that what we do outside of school is our own business. However, when a student is involved in a club, organization, or sport, or even just an obvious member of their school, they are always representing their institution. For example, everyone usually knows who the high school quarterback is, so it is important that he has a good reputation not only on the field but also off--which includes social networking sites. Due to this, to some extent theses sites should be somewhat monitored, and it should be discussed that students are representing their school.
ReplyDeletei believe people have the right to privacy in there personal lives. Unless you are in a school organiztion. When you represent the school you have certain guidelines you have to abide by, and you agree to those guidelines when joining. Other then that circumstance i believe your life should be private from your education. I believe people should be able to put and say what they want as long they are not harming themselves but that still has nothing to do with there education.
ReplyDeleteI think that Facebook should be used the way one chooses to use it, whether it be business or social. However, in both cases a person should monitor what they write and post on Facebook. This is to protect their character as a person and any false accusation that can be used against them. Although student do have the right to "Freedom of Speech", no employee or school or any organization being represented wants people those who they accept to present themselves in a respectable manner at all times.
ReplyDeleteSocial network sites should be monitored througoughly by parents, school staff, and employees. Young teens are exposed to the dangers of sexual preditors and the information on the teens pages should be monitored to protect teens. The reputation of universities are at stake on the networks and even though the students have freedom of speech, they should be punished for slandering the name the school and it's faculty. The online world is fast growing and should be safe in everyones best interest.
ReplyDelete