Social media has power. This was recently proven this past weekend when senior Emily Sullivan from Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas tweeted a rude comment about the state's governor. Even though she never actually said the comment, she tweeted this “said” comment and the governor's office responded. The governor demanded an apology and then after some thought rescinded his request. This power of social media though has many people asking if social media should be policed. Emily Sullivan did make the comment that she would watch what she says, but is that really good enough?
So what should schools do about social media etiquette? The first thought to consider are the consequences of inappropriate tweets. Students have lost scholarships and job opportunities due to inappropriate posts. There is freedom of speech granted in the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution, but saying malicious and libelous words is not granted in these rights. Stating an opinion and justifying a position with facts is very different from attacking the person. Schools are developing policies for social media etiquette but a problem for schools is what students post after school.
The second thought about school and social media etiquette is teaching what is appropriate in a post or tweet. Basically what is appropriate comes down to the word respect. Respect is something students earn through their actions and their words. When a student uses social media, he needs to be cognizant of the tone and word choices made. Always encouraging students to read what they have written before they post is very important.
The third thought to ponder is that once a student has posted or tweeted something, that comment stays online permanently. Unlike editing errors in a paper after writing a draft, once something is placed on the internet it is there for all to see any time and anywhere. Again the earlier example of the senior who tweeted the comment that had the state of Kansas up in arms. Sometimes students feel that because they are on their phone or their computer, what they say does not reflect on them. However this is not true. Schools need to make the students aware of the consequences of poorly worded posts and how to improve upon what they write.
So should schools take a stand on policing social media? I think the best course for schools is to teach, promote, and encourage students to utilize proper etiquette when tweeting and posting.
Key words: social media, tweeting, respect, schools
Interesting topic. I guess I hadn't heard about this senior form Kansas, but the fact that an issue occurred does not surprise me. The next generation of technology users grew up with cell phones. They are more adapted to them than many others in our society are. Therefore, they express their concerns and opinions in a way that is sufficient for them. While I am pleased to see teens expressing said opinions, you are right when you say they need to watch what they write, especially if it is not accurate. Teens do not always know what is happening in politics, so they should ask questions and gain information before placing an attack on the Internet. Like you said, it is there forever, whether they like it or not.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that there should be social media etiquette. I know that many people think that when they interact on social media they do not need to have any manners. I strongly dislike when individuals post angry comments on YouTube videos that swear and are derogatory. The best thing that we can do is educate students on their behavior. I am not talking about doing this when they are in high school, it needs to be taught from the beginning when they take keyboarding. I remember in 2nd grade using computers on KidPix to design pictures etc. Now with the internet, we should teach it right away.
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