I had to break from my current train of thought to respond a bit to this statement from the National Association of Independent Schools: The Impact of Facebook on Our Students.

At best the article is short-sighted, at worst it is a well done spin-job designed to appeal to the basest fears of adults. A couple of my thoughts to particular points in their argument:

#2. Using Facebook takes a lot of time?

It is short sighted for the authors to fear children being connected to technology. Wouldn’t anything we do take a lot of time? Watching television takes a lot of time… talking on the phone takes a lot of time…. going to the mall to hang out with friends takes a lot of time…. sitting in your car, waiting in traffic takes a lot of time….so why single out having a cell phone or using Facebook? At least kids are socializing and communicating using these technologies. Isn’t this a good thing?

Points #3 and 4: Privacy and Internet Scams

So the authors are saying Facebook is bad because it potentially exposes children to privacy issues and online scams? This is an old argument, and a tired one at that. Why don’t we teach our students about online behavior rather than condemning a technology outright? Teachable moment anyone?

Some recent national surveys suggest that youth are very aware of privacy issues and are overall very responsible about divulging personal information. See the Pew Internet & American Life report on “Teens, Privacy, and Online Social Networks”. Click here.

Points #6, 8, 9, and 10

The authors fear that online interactions might lead to a “moral disconnect” in their children because they assume that online communication is somehow less correct than face-to-face. This fear is quite outdated, and there are numerous research studies that can point to instances where technology helps students. Why is it bad for students to develop deeper friendships online? Why is it bad for students to meet new people online, especially those who might possibly help them in their lives? Why is it necessarily bad for teenagers to break up with their boyfriend/girlfriend over IM, email versus over the phone or by passing a paper note in class? The authors of the NAIS document make a lot of assumptions about the perceived detrimental effects of online interactions— when a lot of current research finds that online communities can often have positive influences on adolescents.

For one article see:

“Social Consequences of the Internet for Adolescents” by Patti M. Valkenburg and Jochen Peter.

Another set of articles to read are from Mimi Ito and colleagues, funded by the MacArthur Foundation that paint rich pictures of how teenagers are using social media for positive benefits: friendship, relationships, and learning. Check them out here: Click here.

Overall, we need to acknowledge that any social tool whether it be television, the telephone, the car, or “Facebook” can be used for positive and negative means. It does very little to blame a tool as negative, we need much more responsible dialogue.