What?
A constant ethical dilemma we face when interacting through our Facebook or any social media account, is what we post and are seen to support or ‘like’.
It came to my attention that even though I have not ‘friended’ any of the parents in our school community, a parent of one of my students commented in passing that she had seen a post that I had ‘liked’. The post itself was of no concern, but I was a little uneasy that my personal activity was reaching the parent community without my having any direct links.
I am perfectly aware that FaceBook is not private and I am careful about what I post and reasonably careful what I react to or comment on. Since I had that conversation with that parent, my awareness about my activity has been heightened and I always consider, my digital footprint and how this affects my professional profile, especially in my school community.
Although a personal FaceBook account can be considered the teacher’s private life, on social media it is very easy to cross over into your work life and there is the danger that at some point in the future a member of the parent body may object to something a teacher supports or has said on FaceBook, even if they have not directly connection to them.
This was highlighted when Ehrich et al., 2011, quoted (De Ruyter & Kole, 2010, pg 207) The perception is that “teaching is a ‘social good’ and teachers are expected to instruct students to think and act in ways that their societies believe are worthwhile and responsible.” Also, Fenstermacher (1990 in Christenbury, 2008, p.32 cited in Ehrich et al., 2011) states, “the teacher’s conduct at all times and in all ways is a moral matter and teaching is a profoundly moral activity.” Teachers are being held to account for their choices in their private lives. This was highlighted in a news report in 2015, focusing on disciplinary action taken against teachers that was reported by the public. The misdemeanours included violence, fraud, convictions involving drugs and alcohol, just to name a few (Ratley, 2015, para 27)
So What?
A teacher’s digital footprint, especially their online presence in social media potentially blurs their private lives in with their professional lives. On social media not every post is wholly in their control such as the practise of tagging people to media or even the taking of the photos or videos in the first instance.
This presents a moral dilemma for teachers and the competing forces is that acceptance is measured by each individual person’s values and beliefs. This is evident across the entire social media network. You only need to spend a few minutes reading any newsfeed to come across the opinionated, the social watchdog or the outraged.
The conflict arises between the private persona and the professional persona. If the two are seen to be diametrically opposed, for whatever reason, there may be a perception that the person is deemed unfit to work with children. In extreme cases of breaking the law or endangering the safety of others this could be justified, but what about just opposing opinions of what is ‘moral’ behaviour?
Now What?
This leaves the teachers with the following choices:
A. Do not have a social media profile at all
B. Use a pseudonym ("Facebook for Teachers: 11 Tips for Protecting your Privacy," 2017) with the privacy settings locked down and updated (Facebook & Underwood, 2015) together with being extremely discerning about who they have on their “Friends” list.
C. Minimise the conflict by deciding if the Facebook or other social media accounts are personal or professional. Have one or the other, or maybe even have 2 running to keep things separate. Talk to their friends about what is acceptable to be posted or tagged in for the sake of their career.
Because teachers are woking with some of the most vulnerable members of our community, essentially, they need to be aware that if they wish to participate on social media in a private capacity, to treat it the same as if they’re walking around the local shopping mall. The school community could very well see and hear their every move.
References
Ehrich, L. C., Kimber, M., Millwater, J., & Cranston, N. (2011). Ethical dilemmas: a model to understand teacher practice. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 17(2), 173-185. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.539794
Facebook for Teachers: 11 Tips for Protecting your Privacy. (2017, January 12). Retrieved from https://www.webwise.ie/teachers/facebook-for-teachers/
Facebook, & Underwood, P. (2015). Facebook's Privacy Checkup [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/105198517
Ratley, N. (2015, April 6). Reports of teachers' misconduct increase. The Press. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/67617060/reports-of-teachers-misconduct-increase
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