Assignment 8: School access to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites

Some schools do not allow students or teachers to access sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Explain why they are correct and give reasons/examples.

Schools are correct to restrict access to sites like Facebook and Twitter because they feature user-generated content that school administrators cannot control. Much of this content can be objectionable and even run afoul of school rules, but teacher and administrators cannot be held responsible for user-generated content. For example, almost every school has specific policies barring bullying in school. But administrators are powerless to block comments regarding individual students that might be construed as bullying. In addition to the content issue, students may be distracted from relevant lessons if they have access to Facebook or Twitter. Blocking these sites altogether is the only solution to maintain a positive student environment and student focus in school.

Some schools do not allow students or teachers to access sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Explain why they are wrong and give reasons/examples.

Schools are wrong to restrict access to sites like Facebook and Twitter because they are robbing their students of the world of constructive possibilities made possible by digital collaboration. Facebook allows students to collaborate in groups, and Twitter allows them to take advantage of opinions and news in real time. Modern education philosophy places great emphasis on students’ abilities to collaborate with others; social media, by its nature, encourages such collaboration. In addition, social media has the added benefit of offering collaboration on a digital platform, so it encourages students to use and master technical components that will be a large part of their success in adult life.