Facebook dangers discussed

By: Natalie Morrison, Contributing Writer

Posted: 4/25/06

UA staff, faculty and students covered various concerns and opinions about the popular peer networking Web site Facebook, including its potential legal, professional and personal safety impacts, and sought feedback from the audience at the Reynolds Center Auditorium.

Facebook.com was started in 2004 by two sophomores at Harvard University. Originally intended to be a social network for college students it has become the seventh most trafficked site on the Internet with more than 5 billion page views during the month of February.

Danny Pugh, dean of students, spoke as part of the panel and said Facebook is a great social tool.

"I would have loved to have something like it in college," he said.

The program coordinator for the event, Christianne Medrano, who works for Student Involvement and Leadership, said Facebook is part of the "millennial generation" and is a good way to connect with other students effectively.

"I think that the Facebook is a fabulous tool for students to use," Medrano said. "However, students need to use this tool wisely with the information they choose to add to their profiles."

Another panelist was Shauna Sterling, director of pre-college programs. Sterling said Facebook was designed for students to meet one another, but has drawn the attention from college authority figures as well.

"Students began to spend an incredible amount of time on Facebook because it was so new," said Sterling. "Institutions began to spend more time paying attention to what our students were spending time on."

"Quite frankly, we as adults have invaded their fun space," Sterling said. At this point, Sterling said, students should just "be safe because people are looking at your profiles."

Sterling said students should be aware that it isn't just people who care about themthat are viewing their profiles, but "everyone else in the world who may not have your best interests in mind."

UAPD officer Michael Oakes said he was shocked at the amount of personal data being supplied on Facebook.

"I was astounded when I saw people's spring break plans posted," he said.

Oakes said students should be aware that if they post something as personal as a phone number, it is possible that predators could use such information to find their home address.

Demetrius Richmond, one of the group's facilitators who works for Student Support Services, asked Oakes how likely it was that such a thing could happen at the UA.

Oakes said that Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and with that growth comes a great possibility that predators will come to prey on the expanding population.

"Just be very cautious and be aware that people are looking at your information and are not necessarily people from high school," Oakes said.

Another aspect of Facebook discussed by the panel was the possibility of the site being offensive. Richmond read a list of Facebook "groups" that could be considered inappropriate because of their vulgarity and obscenity.

Sterling gave another example of a Facebook group taken too far. She said there was a group that ridiculed a professor and crossed the line into cruelty.

The agreement reached the panel and the students present was that such uses of the Web site were extreme and unnecessary.

Barbara Batson, director of the Career Development Center, said students need to be careful about putting things on the Web site casually.

"I've heard people say you can put anything on Facebook and it doesn't have to be real," Batson said. "But when many people read it, they are going to assume it is true."

Medrano said that in addition to being careful, students should not take Facebook too seriously but just have fun with it.

"There are degrees of perception with Facebook," Medrano said. "Some people really put their whole life in perspective through it. If they go through a breakup, the first thing they do is take the 'in a relationship' tag off their profile."

The panel's main point was to remind students to be as careful as possible on Facebook.

"Remember that this is information on the World Wide Web," said Medrano, "which means that at any point it can be accessed by anyone, including potential graduate schools, employers and not so nice people."

Pugh said he does not want students to think that the administration or other authorities are monitoring Facebook as a way to get students in trouble, but that they just want students to be cautious.

"We're here because we truly care about the students at the UA and there are people out there who would use Facebook maliciously," said Pugh. "I want students to use Facebook, just use it safely. I think it is a great tool and gives students a great ability to connect."