Social media: an asset to students

Social media and new media skills seems to be becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives. So what happens when we begin to use them in the classroom or by the students?

For starters, there is the emergence of the online classroom, not just at the college level, but also in high school. When you transform from face-to-face settings and into the web experience, it becomes a whole new ballgame. In an article by Barrow, he describes his own experiences with teaching online and how students become more engages and show improvement as opposed to the face-to-face settings. While this may be more relevant at the higher level, more teachers at the high school level seem to be experimenting with these processes as well.

But new media can be used for more than just teaching online or experiments. Student organizations can utilize these tools and technologies for their benefit as well. Williams (2010) discusses how new media helps in the delivery of information, such as sports news, by high-school media. By using these new technologies, high school newspapers, yearbook staff, or even the morning announcement crew can improve their methods and connect with a wider audience.

There can be a downfall to this as well. When student media begins engaging more in social media, they need to be sure to maintain their audience. In an article by Neff (2009), he discussed how some students were beginning to take a pass on Facebook. At least 900,000 students had stopped using the site within a six month period. With such large numbers of high-school students declining to participate in such areas, it would be hard for those student media groups to find that audience to connect with.

A Chicago-based marketing consultant, Monica O’Brien, even wrote about why high-schoolers leave Facebook on her blog. Be sure to check out what she had to say about the topic.


Aside from students who are choosing not to use the site anymore, students newspapers, yearbooks, and other organizations still need to be careful about their usage of these technologies. While they still maintain their rights to free speech, they may come under the same scrutiny as teachers if they post the wrong thing.


According to Smith (2008), courts may find that a school limiting what students are allowed to say on Facebook is a violation of their first amendment rights. But arguements arise in favor of protecting the students and the school system involved.


This is yet another case that may turn into a he said, she said, never ending cycle until more rules, regulations and policies are established and put into place. Something that seems to be happening...but slowly.