The lecture today talked about internet privacy and the fact that there is very little of it. Facebook is a necessary evil in my life as without it I sadly feel isolated from the world. I do not post comments, status updates or use the apps on Facebook as I I have always steered away from putting much information about myself on the internet as I did not want colleauges or friends to see. However, what concerned me greatly was the fact that apps that my friends use can form a 'trail' of information relating to ME! University student groups only use Facebook to post possible PD's for teachers and this forces me to remain 'in touch' with the world by continuing to be a Facebook stalker. I gleen through countless mundane and useless bits of information about what was eaten for lunch, bad hair and pets gone mad just in case I may miss that one bit of information that a lecturer may have given, a PD worth attending or a change in someone's status (my cousin's way of announcing to the world he had just got engaged...nice personal touch - still waiting for the PERSONAL phone call, email, sms etc etc). On these desperate reconnaissance activities that I balk in horror at the comments of fellow students considering the ramafications such actions could have. Case in point - Rauchy teachers on Facebook. Two female Warwick high school teachers uploaded raunchy photos of themselves on Facebook and are awaiting further action from Education Queensland.
The code of conduct for teachers states:
"You must not use internet social networks such as Face Book, My Space or YouTube to contact or access present students enrolled in any school or institute. If you use internet social networks in your personal time you must ensure that the content is appropriate and private, and that you restrict access to specific people who are not students" (EQ Code of conduct, Retrieved 22 January 2011, from: http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/pdfs/code_of_conduct.pdf).
"Content is appropriate and private"...is there such a thing on Facebook. There is an illusion of privacy on the internet; it is just you and the screen as there is no other physical presence with you at the time of posting comments etc, yet it is not so. Facebook teaches you to undervalue privacy…it conditions you. Content can be seen out of context and affect future careers. The site should come with a warning 'use of this site may be hazardous to your privacy, health, career, love life and even your sanity'.
I realise now how important it is for me as a teacher to teach students about the importance of privacy and that it should not be traded for a slice of Facebook, Twitter or any other social media. Privacy is not only important for your reputation, it can sometimes be essential for your personal safety too. As in the real world, the virtual environment is home to many sexual predators who glean information from sites such as Facebook. Organisations such as ThinkUKnow have been set up to teach of these dangers. "ThinkUKnow is an Internet safety program delivering interactive training to parents, carers and teachers through primary and secondary schools across Australia using a network of accredited trainers.
Created by the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, ThinkUKnow Australia has been developed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Microsoft Australia" (ThinkUKNow website, retrieved 22 January 2011).
Teaching students critical thinking skills pertaining to the internet and WWW will become crutial now and in the future. The world is certainly not WYSIWYG (What-you-see-is-what-you-get) anymore.
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