Middle/High School

Where does freedom of speech end and the world of work begin for high school students, college students and teachers with online websites? It is something that all people who have a MySpace or Facebook account need to ponder.

Many students, as well as teachers, have a MySpace or Facebook site. These can be private places to put personal photos, poems, discussions, etc. for friends to view. However, many employers are checking these sites before they hire someone. A few teachers have been dismissed over having improper or “raunchy” photos on a site.

The article When Teachers Go Wild on the Web by Ian Shapira [Washington Post, April 28, 2008] gives examples of where teachers who thought that their websites were not open to the public were found by parents and students. Some teachers were given a warning about what was posted on their sites, but some were let go.

Teachers are not the only ones who need to be careful about what they post. Alison Doyle in Alison’s Job Search Blog reports that employers will check social networking sites, blogs and chat rooms of potential employees. It does not matter what type of job the person is seeking: full-time employment, summer employment or even an internship.

So, next time pictures are taken at a party, think twice about posting them on a social networking site. Not only is Big Brother watching, but so is everyone else.