StudentAffairs.comVirtual Case Study Presentation

Ball State UniversityKerry Wallaert

Ryan MillerJoshua Hill

Advisor: Catherine Bickel, Ed.D.

Friend or Foe: Facebook at Diversity

College

Presented by the Facebook Ad Hoc Committee

What is Facebook?

• “The Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools” (About Facebook, 2005)

Facebook’s Founding

• Facebook was launched February 4th, 2004 as a free student-run online directory

• It was originally created for students at Harvard, but rapidly spread across the nation

• It has even opened sites for high schools

Profile Features• Personal Information

– Including address, phone number, IM name, classes, favorite music/movies, relationship information

• Social Calendar– Including schedules, social events, and availability

• Groups– User-created groups based on common interests

• Pictures– Pictures of user and their friends

• The “Wall”– Public area to post messages

• List of Friends– List of other connected users sorted by institution

Why do students build a profile?

• Virtual communities such as…social networks allowed users to maintain individual identity while belonging to a community (Rheingold, 2000)

• Through their profiles, students are able to establish identities in Facebook – Interpersonal skills move towards the virtual,

versus “real” or face-to-face– The resulting relationships can be based on fact

or fiction

Why do students build a profile?

• Diversions– Procrastination

• Create profiles in order to avoid homework

– Entertainment• Join interesting groups and browse through

random photos

– Practical Purposes• Find fellow class members or look up contact

information

Benefits of Facebook

• Identity Development– Virtual communities offer users the

opportunity to interact in a variety of ways, including play (Rheingold, 2000)

– Citing Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Rheingold argued that the act of playing online enabled community members to develop a stronger sense of identity (Rheingold, 2000)

Benefits of Facebook

• Relationships– “Just as we experience different

kinds of relationships in our real lives, we are likely to develop different kinds of relationships online as well” (Wood & Smith, 2001)

– Virtual communities provide members the opportunity to form new relationships

Benefits of Facebook

• Practical Purposes– Online search directory

• Including phone numbers, addresses, class schedules, and instant messenger names

– Event advertising• Including social, educational and cultural activities

– Social Network• Users are able to identify other users with similar

interests or goals• Can create face-to-face opportunities including study

sessions or social activities

• Groups can be social, themed, or event-driven.

• Some examples include: –

– –

Groups - Campus Connections

Perils of Facebook

• Questionable posting– Including postings of

obvious policy violations, inappropriate behaviors, and illegal activities

• Illicit photos• Inappropriate groups (e.g.

“Blunt Smokers of DU” or “United Beer Pong Front” or “Forget GLBT, I’m STR8”)

Perils of Facebook

• Internet Addiction– Hardy Cox (2002)

found that strong affinity to technology led to internet addiction.

– Most Facebook users spend 15 minutes a day on Facebook

Perils of Facebook

• Anti-social behavior– Frequently, members

of virtual communities lost inhibitions due to anonymity (Rheingold, 2000)

Security Issues

• Stalking– Recent information attributed cyber-

stalking to the murder of Taylor Behl (Zant,

2006)

• Identity Theft– Personal profile information has created a

larger risk of identity theft

Facebook at DC

• Facebook can be a great tool or be problematic– Be aware of what you’re posting online– Remember, online postings reflect you in

the “real” world• DC Administrators and Staff have access to

your profiles• Future employers could see your postings

Welcome, Have a GREAT Semester!

• Questions?

• Comments?

Facebook Experience Learning Module

• The Facebook Experience Learning Module is a comprehensive learning tool developed to educate incoming students regarding Facebook.

• The Module consists of 18 multiple choice questions.

• Students need to pass the module with an 80%

Facebook Experience Learning Module

1. Facebook exists for:a) Collegesb) High schoolsc) Middle schoolsd) a) and b)

2. What can the event planner be used for?a) Setting up study groupsb) Setting up birthday partiesc) Finding out when floor programs ared) All of the above

3. Which group is NOT an inappropriate Facebook group to join?

a) “Blunt smokers of DC”b) “I get so drunk I pass out”c) “If I’m drunk, you’ll get a call tonight”d) “DC Athletic Supporters”

4. Faculty, staff, and administration have access to Facebook postings.

a) Yesb) No

5. What could NOT be a group?a) DC athletesb) DC bong smokersc) DC students who like to showerd) All of these can be groups

6. What is NOT included in the online search directory?a) Cell Phone numbersb) Addressesc) Instant Messenger namesd) All of these can be included 7. On average, how many minutes a day do users spend on

Facebook?a) 25b) 15c) 35d) 45

8. Faculty, staff, and administration can use your postings of pictures, etc. to determine violations of the code of conduct.

a) Yesb) Noc) Depends

Facebook Experience Learning Module

9. Which is NOT a way that internet addiction may inhibit your collegiate experience?

a) It has no affect on my collegiate experience.b) May distract me from making personal connections with

students and faculty.c) May cause me to stay in my room.d) May distract me from coursework.

10. What can NOT be created using a Facebook profile?a) Relationshipsb) A Disciplinary Casec) A plan for the weekendd) Test answers

11. Using someone else's profile to post information is OK.a) Trueb) False

12. Facebook profiles costs ___ per year:a) Freeb) $100c) $25d) $10

13. Why might someone find out where they fit in on the social network?

a) Helps to identify others with similar interestsb) Helps to find out who is in their classesc) Helps to find someone to go to an event withd) All are reasons to find where one fits in

14. What are examples of the perils of Facebook?a) Posting pictures of friendsb) Internet Addictionc) Antisocial behaviord) None of the abovee) B and C

15. What is broadcast in a Facebook profile?a) One's academic careerb) One's identityc) One's ability to make moneyd) One's ability to get arrested

16. Facebook was created for businesses to conduct meetings?a) Yesb) No

17. Facebook friendships are based on:a) Factb) Fictionc) Bothd) Neither

18. What are possible consequences of posting your address or cell phone number on Facebook?

a) Stalkingb) There aren’t any consequences.c) Identity Theftd) A and C

Answer Key

1. D

2. D

3. D

4. A

5. D

6. D

13.D

14.E

15.B

16.B

17.C

18.D

7. B

8. C

9. A

10. D

11. B

12. A

ReferencesAbout Facebook. (2005). Retrieved February 7, 2006, from

the Facebook Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/about.php

Hardy Cox, D. G. (2002). Advancing student learning in an era of technology: From citizenship laboratories to virtual reality. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 30(2), 30-35.

Rheingold, H. (2000). The virtual community: Homesteading on the electronic frontier (Rev. ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Wood, A. F., & Smith, M. J. (2001). Online communication: Linking technology, identity, and culture. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Zant, C. V., (2006). Beware of cyber stalkers. Retrieved February 7, 2006 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11101454/