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PRINCIPALS AND VICE-PRINCIPALS
WINTER 2009 VOL.11 NO.4

Host of the International Confederation of Principals 10th World Convention 2011

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Tips for Facebook Users
acebook is a global social networking
F website. Users can add “friends” and
send them messages, update their per-
sonal profiles and notify friends about
recent activities. In September 2009, Facebook
surpassed 300 million users. In Canada, there
are 12 million users — more than one out of
every three Canadians!
While there are many advantages to the
site, users need to be cautious of the pitfalls
as well; specifically that inappropriate or un-
professional use can have personal and pro-
fessional consequences. For educators, this is
particularly important. Just as you don’t stop
being a principal when you are at the grocery
store on the weekend, you don’t stop being a
principal if you set up a Facebook page.
Here are some tips that users should keep
in mind:
• Establish settings Make sure your privacy
settings for both content and photos are set
to your preferences. Carefully screen who you
want to see your information, as well as who
can post to your site. It’s best to set up these
preferences when you first create your profile.
• Monitor your page A daily look to see what
has been posted is advised. It is best to delete
or hide responses from friends when necessary.
• Don’t tell all Avoid including a lot of
personal information on your profile page,
as hackers have been known to use this
information to create fake accounts on other
websites and destroy your credit rating.
• Third party chatter Don’t post personal
information about anyone else on your page.
• Understand the Internet Keep in mind that
the material you are currently posting will
CATOR
NI
U
COMM
remain in cyberspace indefinitely and can be
viewed by anyone around the world. It can
potentially be edited and/or forwarded by oth-
ers without your knowledge.
• Digital dirt Be aware that your postings and
pictures can follow you for years. Employers
and post-secondary institutions are now using
search engines to see what information you
have posted on social networking sites, looking
for your “digital dirt.”
• Keep track It’s important to have a record
of who you have accepted as a “friend.” Don’t
complain about your job if you have added col-
leagues and/or your boss as friends.
• Know the boundaries Professional and
personal lives do not stay separate on social
networking sites. If you are obliged to keep cer-
tain information confidential in your job, don’t
talk about that information on Facebook.
• Making friends As a general rule, educa-
tors should not accept students as friends,
since this can be viewed as inappropriate and
unprofessional. If you decide to “friend” a
student, communicate with them on your
page as you would talk to them verbally in
front of a crowd. While it is okay to set up a
page to post homework and assignments,
it is not okay to send/receive inappropriate
posts to/from students.
• Don’t gossip Talking about students, staff,
colleagues, trustees, supervisors or parents on
your personal page can be damaging. Such in-
formation can be forwarded to others without
your knowledge.
• Digital reputation Be aware that what you
post on Facebook, or any other social network-
ing site, speaks directly to your character.
23 REGISTER
• Take precautions Consider installing the
Facebook application called Privacy Mirror,
which will show you exactly what other people
are seeing on your site.
• Be respectful Other people’s privacy must
be considered. Don’t post photos on your
Facebook site that include family members and
friends if they don’t want their photo available
and accessible to others on the Internet.
• Think before you type While you can delete
something from your Facebook page, be aware
that if someone else has already copied it, then
it is out of your hands. Think about this BEFORE
you post anything.
• Legal policies Know your Board policies that
may limit or prohibit you from using or access-
ing Facebook on a Board computer or during
working hours. Software can identify what sites
you visit, when and how often, so it is easy for
employers to monitor your Internet activity
while at school.
• Deleting a profile Currently, when you
deactivate a Facebook page, the content is not
permanently deleted. While the company has
agreed to change this in the next year, for now,
a deactivated site remains in cyberspace.
• Practice common sense There are many
advantages to social networking sites and
while they will continue to grow in number and
popularity, use common sense. Don’t avoid the
sites but be smart when using them.
• Use professionalism Be considerate of others
and most importantly be professional. Be aware
of the long-term impacts of what you post to
the cyber world and its effect on your future. •
E-mail: psweeney@principals.ca