Last week I received an invitation to join facebook from someone 15 years my senior (I’m late 30’s; he’s mid-50’s). The invitation came from a person I will call Mr. X, an alumnus of my college with whom I have worked closely on a non-profit board for more than 10 years. When I received the invitation, my first thoughts were, “Why is Mr. X on facebook? Isn’t he a little old for facebook? Aren’t I a little old for facebook?” But, since I have had positive experiences with linkedin.com, the “grown-up” version of facebook, I accepted the invitation.
On facebook, I found a few college classmates and added them as friends. I found a few former students with whom I keep in touch; I added them as friends. Then I faced this dilemma: should I add former students (I teach mostly 2Ls) who are still in law school and with whom I remain friendly as “friends”? I was on the fence about adding former students, but figured that if I weren’t going to have them in class again (and therefore wouldn’t be grading their work again), then it was probably ok. After adding to first few former-students-but-still-in-law-school, I began to have regrets.
I saw several things on students’ facebook pages (apparent drug use, lots of drinking and risque poses) that I wished I hadn’t. They probably wished I hadn’t, too. [Note: The photos in this post are stock; not from actual student websites.] But didn’t these students know that employers are looking at students’ facebook pages? Apparently, they hadn’t read this story from the New York Times. Was it news to them that the person you might be asking for a job might be able to see their facebook pages? Judging from what I saw, the word hadn’t filtered down to my school’s student population.
What I saw on facebook gave me second thoughts about joining. I didn’t want to know about my students some of information they were displaying on facebook. And I didn’t want to be one of the “creepy professors” (c’mon, every school has them) who thinks they are “cool” or “down” with the students. Yes, the students like lots of their professors, but that doesn’t mean they should go drinking with us. Yes, the professors like lots of their students, but that doesn’t mean we should go drinking with them. Was my being on facebook like going drinking with students?
I’ve decided for now to stay on facebook, for two reasons: (a) it is a very easy way to keep in touch with alums; (b) students who add me to their “friends” lists might rethink those pictures of themselves smoking a hand-rolled something that sure looks like marijuana to me, guzzling something that sure looks like vodka to me, or sticking their tongue down another’s throat (I don’t make this up). An employer doesn’t tell you that the employer is looking at facebook. At least if my name and profile are in their “friends” lists, my students know that I (and others) might.
-Bridget Crawford
the world has already embraced this conectivity. I would think participation is the way to knowledge and change. There are many in my life that fear the way the net is used but it is here so I say “deal”, don’t run. Only thru participation can we know what to change and how to do it. Professor Crawford has it right. “Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes” as it were.
Our career office has told our students about the employer-based perils of Facebook, so the word has at least been speard to them. Whether it’s sunk in or not is another story.
I am a student, and I have a facebook account. At our school, I’d say the majority of accounts are fairly tame. Some comments or pictures of alcohol being ingested, but nothing illegal or salacious. Because I am an older student, I thought it might be weird for me to join Facebook at first, but I am glad that I did because it does enable me to keep some cursory contact with people I otherwise might not and also to get to know some of my classmates better. I, too, wonder why anyone would put something on facebook they don’t want potential employers to see. I think part of it goes to the law school culture, which is one that somewhat encourages us to work hard, but also party hard. It is expected that at the end of the week, the majority of students go “out” and do a lot of things they wouldn’t want to be called on about on Monday.
I would love to have my professors on Facebook (or blogging or SOMETHING) and to get a glimpse of them beyond the faculty bios. What are they working on right now? What little triumphs have they had (publications, speaking engagements, etc.)? What are their opinions about new stuff in their field? It would be delightful to see them mirror for us what a good facebook or other social networking profile can do in terms of BUILDING rather than destroying our careers.
One of my current research projects involves law students’ use of social networking sites like Facebook. One of the things I’m interested in is precisely the way that students present themselves — and the extent to which self-presentations vary by gender, race, age, law school prestige, or other variables. I’m also looking at how students use Facebook; my early glimpses suggest that, while it is largely social, there is some academic use — sort of a virtual study group.
When I first started on this, I worried a bit about being a creepy voyeur. The students who know about my interest seem to think it is OK. But that’s sort of an occupational hazard for ethnographic sociologists anyway!
Anyway, I’d welcome any thoughts from other law profs or students.
I garbled that last comment. I meant that creepy voyeurism is an occupational hazard of ethnography, but that my students don’t seem bothered …
I have always been in touch with many of my former students and they and my present students unerringly contact me when they need help of any kind.
When my law school was much younger, a number of faculty did go out drinking regularly with students. I didn’t. That’s distinct from the occasional dating relationship which I did get involved in, one leading to marriage.
The problem with being to open and familiar with students on a non-selective basis is that some will try to take inappropriate advantage that can compromise professional integrity. Also, sadly but truly, become a “bud” to a group of students, as opposed to individualized relationships, guarantees rumors that are hard to disprove and impossible to dispel.
I started teaching in 1975 and the world has changed quite a bit. Of course age has something to do with it but back then many students came from colleges where faculty, for one reason or another, were on a first-name basis with their students (and often a lot more).
Most of my students today won’t even use my first name after I tell them I prefer not to be addressed by rank outside the classroom. They want faculty they can trust and depend on but the sought after equality of thirty years ago simply isn’t there. Sometimes I feel like I’m back in the Army with so many students addressing me as “sir.” Online networking sites like Facebook create an illusion of social openness but they probably portend more problems for faculty than good experiences.