“Miss, can I add you on facebook?”

I nearly dropped dead when one of my students asked me whether or not a was related to a certain someone. I asked her how she knew, and she said, “I saw you on his facebook. It was so funny how you two fight over what is the best flavoured ice-cream that day you had a party at Brighton Beach.” Is this voyeurism par excellance? Is nothing sacred? She went on to ask, “hey Miss, can I add you on?”

Stop there. Child protection- invasion of privacy-voyeurism. Was this student stalking me? I highly doubt it; I was simply related to a boy she was trying to get to ask her out. Maybe if she was nice to me, I’d put in a word? Facebook is “both noun and verb, the unchallenged colossus of adolescent communication that works like the telephone, the back fence, the class bulletin board…all rolled into one virtual mosh pit.” (Duffy, 2006, p50) It is an interesting medium conquered by both adults and adolescents where virtual communication is sacred and opens opportunities for connectedness beyond the imagination.

What struck me when this student asked me this was that student-teacher relations are undergoing a huge change, and we need to address the boundaries if any should be taken. As a teacher, can my authority be undermined or ridiculed if students access my facebook or even add me on? Does it cross any boundaries or violate any child protection laws? Facebook is counted as a social utility, could it be so bad if students and teachers were connected through this medium? In upcoming years, I believe it’s an important issue to be addressed by the government. Is this taking it too far?

Reference

Duffy, M. (2006, April 10). ‘A dad’s encounter with the vortex of facebook.’ In Time magazine. Text Pacific Publishing Australia. p.50.