Offensive or inappropriate content
The final area typically covered in Social Media Policies is the posting of offensive or sexually explicit material. Check your understanding in the next activity.
Activity 7 Can action be taken?
A student posts an offensive comment in a student WhatsApp Group stating ‘if you ain’t British go home’. Students find it upsetting but because it is a private student group no action can be taken. Are they right in assuming this?
Comment
These students are incorrect in thinking that nothing can be done by the university. The Social Media Policy can be applied to even private social media groups. For example, in an article published in 2019, the Guardian reported [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] that hundreds of students had been disciplined or even expelled from university for posting racist, sexually explicit or homophobic or transphobic comments. The Freedom of Information request showed that across 92 universities in the UK 277 students had been sanctioned between 2015-2018. Examples listed included a student who was given a year-long suspension for racist and antisemitic ‘jokes’ on Facebook, while another student was expelled for racist posts made on Instagram. Other students were expelled for posting that message in a WhatsApp group.
While some examples of inappropriate content are obvious, there are also cases where it is more nuanced – for example, can you openly criticise your university or your lecturer?
Look at these two posts that are based on two found on Twitter and Facebook. Do you think they break any official aspects of what might be a typical Social Media Policy in HE? Put your answer in the poll boxes below.
Does anyone have Jane Teacher as their tutor at the university of X? I do unfortunately I've had a tutorial tonight but couldn't see any of the slides and half the time couldn't hear anything. I tried logging in twice, but no dice! Frustrating! Then when I managed to get in the tutor didn’t seem to know what she was talking about. #It was awful
The @universityofX is an #AbsoluteJoke I had no support with my #disability they were as useful as a chocolate fire guard only now they want me to re apply for student loan feels like we won’t help you till we get funds #absolutejoke #HE
Comment
Both these posts could potentially be breaking the social media policy of your institution. By naming both the tutor and the institution you could be potentially making your opinion highly visible and depending on the stance that your institution takes this may lead to disciplinary action. So it is best to be cautious and guarded in what you post. You will learn more about this next.