MySpace allows users to build profile Web sites that reveal personal information, and to network with friends through blogs, instant messaging, and forums. Because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, however, some students have become emboldened to pose as teachers, fabricate their ages, and in extreme situations, even make threats. The service also allows the possibility that minors may reveal too much information, allowing for inappropriate attention from adults.

Educators are struggling to deal with the issues raised by MySpace and its competitors, as punishing students for what they publish on the networking sites raises questions of free speech, and currently little precedent exists upon which to rely in laying blame for misuse of these sorts of Web tools.

While some schools have resorted to the quick fix of blocking networking sites by using Internet filters on school computers, Karl Johnson, the newly elected president of the technology coordinators special interest group (SIGTC), says that such a measure is unlikely to prove effective, as enterprising students often find ways around restrictions. Johnson, the technology director at Ocean School District in Washington State, says, “There is no software out there or technology that is foolproof.”

Instead of trusting technology as a sole factor in improving the situation, Johnson advocates educating students, teachers, and parents about some of the dangers inherent in the Internet. “My personal belief is that as our job in schools is to educate, we also need to educate the students on cyber safety and Internet etiquette,” says Johnson.

Johnson points to Nancy Willard, executive director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use (CSRIU), as an expert on social network site misuse. Willard authored Computer Ethics, Etiquette, and Safety for the 21st Century Student, an ISTE publication, and is currently working on a book that will deal more directly with social networking. In March 2006, Willard toured MySpace headquarters in Santa Monica, California, to get a firsthand look at what the company itself is doing to address issues of site misuse.

In an article on the educators’ Web site galeschools.com, Willard writes that using MySpace and its competitors can be positive experiences for many students. Willard asserts that networking sites build “skills that will be a foundation for career success in the 21^st century,” but that educators should be concerned because teens do not always make sound decisions, parents are not paying attention at all times, and that sexual predators, hate group recruiters, and child pornographers may frequent such sites.

Willard suggests that educators use an approach that includes: “A clear policy, strong focus on educationally valuable use of the Internet supported by curriculum and professional development (no Internet ‘recess’), student education about online safety and responsible use, effective monitoring, and appropriate consequences.”

Some networking sites allow schools to designate a student as the responsible moderator for his or her school’s presence on the service. Posting harmful speech, impersonating another party, and lying about user age are all violations of the use agreements on most social networking sites. If the user agreement is being violated, requesting that inappropriate material be removed may sidestep free speech issues.

Most misuse of networking sites takes place away from school, though, so parents should be informed of the consequences of their kids’ networking site use. Failing that, educators should not be reticent to involve the police; MySpace has proven itself expedient in responding to subpoenas.

Some educators have learned to incorporate this technology into the classroom, according to Willard. Teachers are creating manageable networking sites for instructional use, as at the classblogmeister.com Web site.

New technologies bring revolutionary benefits but are often accompanied by new problems. The balance between these two poles for social networking Web sites has yet to be achieved. “MySpace is not a bad idea. I just think it’s just not put together properly,” says Johnson.

For other best practices, ISTE members can discuss social networking sites and related issues on the SIG community areas, or during SIGTC’s quarterly chats on TappedIn. MySpace itself offers some resources that educators may find useful, including a list of helpful safety tips.