7 Social networking
- Bebo safety, http://www.bebo.com/Safety.jsp [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
- My footprints, http://myfootprintsd.com/
- Protecting reputations online in plain English, http://www.commoncraft.com/protecting-reputations-video
- Myspace, Facebook: employers are watching, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ddZWkhItPuI&feature=related
Because sites such as Facebook are very popular with young people it is really important that you discuss with your students the importance of privacy settings and how to use these sites responsibly.
There is some very helpful advice about Facebook’s privacy settings on the page A summary of the new Facebook privacy controls.
There is also a very clear video at http://www.connectsafely.com/ Videos/.
Reflection
Watch the Bebo safety and My footprint videos linked above. Think about how you could introduce them into your tutor group. Are your students aware that their profiles could affect their chances at college or of getting a job?
It’s easy to search for people on Facebook and it’s possible to find examples of things which someone might not want their future employer to see. You can discuss examples with students and then go through the privacy settings. If you show examples it is vital that you make them totally anonymous and don’t use anyone that may be recognised by the students.
Ask your students what a future employer or university admissions staff member might find if they searched for them on the internet. What sort of issues could this question raise?
6 Reliability of information