Social Media sites, and students

Dealing with twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (or other social media sites) is a reality in the classroom. What are strategies that you could employ to help teach safe and appropriate use of these sites?

     I believe the most important thing to teach a student about social media is that anything that gets put up on the internet, is there forever.  Students need to be mindful of this fact before they post material, keeping in mind that anyone has the ability to see their posts. 

      I had an issue with a student a few weeks ago, where she posted a picture of her and her friends on instagram, and then received some negative comments about the picture.  She didn't know who posted the comments, but was upset regardless.  When she consulted with me about the issue, I told her that if she wants to post a picture or post information on social media, she has to ask herself, "Am I okay with others seeing this?" and "Am I prepared to receive negative feedback on this."  If she still wants to make the post or show the picture keeping these two questions in mind, then she should do so regardless of what others may say.

      When exploring social media websites, students need to be made aware of the privacy settings available, and use them so only people who are on their friends list can see their posts.  Students also need to think about who they add to their friends list, and if they are okay with these individuals seeing their content.  It's important that students are aware of who they give access to, to see their profiles, content, pictures and information.

     I would also advice students to use different forms of social media for different purposes.  They could use blogs to share personal thoughts, ideas, and feelings, and only give people access to their blog, who they trust (again, privacy settings should be updated before posting).  They could use their twitter accounts to discuss general topics or areas of interest, that way they don't need to be as mindful of who follows them.  They can use instagram to show general pictures, but use facebook with updated privacy settings to show more personal pictures. 

      Using social media safely and responsibly is an issue that needs to be addressed in the classroom.  That way, when students go home at the end of the day and access their social media accounts, they can post confidently, knowing that they can post general content and be comfortable for many to see this, as opposed to posting more personal content only for those whom they trust to see.