As I was reading through the article on facebook's policies (which are, by the way, changing again, for those of you concerned--check the staff blog!), I was struck by the fact that, at least as far as facebook is concerned, I feel like kids and young adults are much more aware of the privacy issues contained in the site than many of their parents are.
For those of us who've been coming into adulthood since facebook entered the scene, there has been what seems like hyper-awareness of the propensity for privacy invasion there. Because facebook is designed to network with people you sort-of-know-but-not-necessarily-really, it treads a strange terrain for most of us between sharing and keeping secret. Our organizational affiliations, interests, and contact details are widely publicized, but at the same time, we are hugely aware of who may be looking at our stuff. We were incensed when the site opened up to non-college students, even more when it became apparent that prospective employers and, increasingly, family members were there.
For me, facebook is a tool to keep in quick contact with people from my undergrad, a spare few from high school, and the occasional relative. I have very little of substance on there; a few photos from a family reunion, some from when I was at Oxford, some program pictures from my RA days, basic contact information for myself, and a few quotes. But my family members, all adults who have been very concerned for years about my own online presence, share pieces of information about themselves that I often wonder if they realize are quite as available as they are. My peers and I navigate privacy settings carefully, while those who are newer to the game seem completely unaware of the need to do so.
As someone who's been responsible for hiring and has been required by supervisors to browse facebook profiles in the process (sometimes deceptively!), I am extremely careful about what goes onto my profile in the first place, and especially about who can see what. I don't allow people to post on my wall; I get notifications any time someone replies to anything I post so I can edit if needed; no one is able to see photos in which other people have tagged me until I change settings on each individual photo.
There are a great many situations in which it is incredibly important for kids to be educated on their privacy concerns, and facebook is certainly one of them, but in my mind, the nature of the site and its user base suggest that perhaps we need to be hosting information sessions for adults who are long past their undergrad days to make sure that they have the same information as the rest of us.
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While I'm not concerned about what a future employer might find out about me from my Facebook page (I don't do and haven't done anything I'm ashamed for anyone to see!), I do have a certain amount of caution about what I share publicly. If I "friend" someone who isn't really a close friend or acquaintance, I have a specific set of filters that I use so that almost everything (except that which we hold in common, like a group) is hidden from them. My reasons for joining Facebook were very different from yours--I moved to Texas with my husband and new baby and left all my family and friends behind, and I was staying at home and needed the connection--so I post very different things; Facebook is how my little one recognizes her cousins and grandparents when we've been separated for a long time, and it lets her grandparents experience those little moments babies have even though they're hours and hours away. I'm a better, more involved friend now to my college friends than I have been since I graduated nine years ago! My sister and I have helped our parents and grandparents sign up (to keep up with the grandkids, of course!) and have set their privacy settings for them, since there's a good chance they wouldn't have the foggiest idea what they were sharing, and I frequently check my own settings to make sure they're as private to the general population as they can be. (All the same, I'm sure I'm sharing things that I don't even think about just because it wouldn't occur to me that anyone who didn't know me would care!) I think information sessions for adults, particularly professionals, regarding Facebook use would be a good idea, and if it was online, I might even sign up to be safe! :)
ReplyDelete(P.S. If you look for me on Facebook and find out I'm more public than I think I am, let me know! ;) )
ReplyDeleteI can see your basic info (name, city, your husband's name/link), your interests, your education and work history, your groups, and a tab for "flair."
ReplyDeletePlus 83 photos and 2 videos.
I'm in your network, which probably means I have a little bit more access than someone who isn't, but that's what's available to anybody at UIllinois.
Hmm...I keep forgetting about those networks! Guess I've got some settings to change!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the only possible class along this line that I found offered at my local park district (and they offer a lot of computer classes) is a professional online networking class.
ReplyDeleteToday, it almost seems that if you are not part of Facebook that you are out of the loop on just about everything. Not only do I use the site to stay connected to friends throughout the country, but I also use it as a tool to maintain awareness of what is going on with some of my favorite organizations and institutions, as well as manage events and rally support for political/social efforts. Without a doubt, I’m not alone, as people are beginning to use Facebook for more and more reasons. Users are, therefore, becoming increasingly diverse in the knowledge and skills in understanding the functions, uses and opportunities of the website and privacy issue. This makes education even more vital to understanding these sorts of social networking platforms.
ReplyDeleteAs the Facebook community continues to grow to over 400 million I agree that learning opportunities need to be available for all, especially adults as you mention. As a novice user it took me awhile to learn all that Facebook had to offer and the means to maintain my security. While I agree with you that many “kids and young adults are much more aware of the privacy issues contained in the site than many of their parents are” I believe that being aware and actually knowing are quite different. In conversations with students it is clear that they know how to set privacy and security settings, but many are confused by what it really means for them. In a recent classroom discussion about who owns the information that “placed” on Facebook the majority of my students were unaware. Certainly, information regarding privacy is made available to students on the site, but the semantics makes it quite a challenge. When we incorporate lessons about Facebook and other social networking opportunities in our schools for young adults we are providing safety training just like we do for other things. It is important to never assume that because a certain segment of a population may be more likely to use a technology that they truly know the risks and/or benefits of it.