1. Are YOU Part of the Phenomenon?

2. What you can do with facebook: What you can do with facebook: You can see where old You can see where old faces wound up Students can establish Students can establish friendships through common interests Connect with people in Connect with people in your classes Network Network

3. Downside to Facebook: Privacy Downside to Facebook: Privacy Privacy options pertain only to blocking entire profiles, or limiting certain information such as phone numbers and screen names to friends or students only. Users can create secret groups that are invitation only, but public groups are open to all Facebook users at that university. Additionally, those in other university networks who are friends with a single user can click around groups, read the message boards and see who has joined the groupeven if the members profile is set to private.

4. Be careful with personal information: Be careful with personal information: Many students include a lot of information, much of it quite personal, in their individual profiles. Information such as cellular phone numbers, room numbers or addresses, class schedules, personal websites, pictures and job information often are readily available for Friends to view. Many students are not very discriminating regarding who they designate as Friends, often granting this designation to people they have just met or to Friends of Friends. This practice can put students in a vulnerable position when so much personal information is available. Many students include a lot of information, much of it quite personal, in their individual profiles. Information such as cellular phone numbers, room numbers or addresses, class schedules, personal websites, pictures and job information often are readily available for Friends to view. Many students are not very discriminating regarding who they designate as Friends, often granting this designation to people they have just met or to Friends of Friends. This practice can put students in a vulnerable position when so much personal information is available. The Facebook also is used as a way to meet people and for dating. Students are sometimes naïve and may be duped by another Friends profile, especially if theyve just met the person or dont really know them. Students need to be careful about going to meet other people in person when they only know the other person from online contact.

5. Last bit of Advice: Last bit of Advice: You need to be aware of how your personal information might be used by others, If you engage in ANY illegal behaviorwhether you post it on Facebook or notyou are putting yourself at risk not only of Student Code of Conduct charges, but much more in terms of the achievement of your personal and educational goals

6. Things to think about for the future: Things to think about for the future: Students will be students, of course -- but students should beware. Employers have caught wind of this new national pastime of their entry-level job candidates. In fact, a student at Vermont Technical College recently had a job offer rescinded by an employer who saw the student's Facebook profile. Career centers are increasingly concerned that students do not understand the consequences of posting questionable material in the public domain -- which may be retrievable by online search engines for years to come -- and are taking steps to educate students. This can even include the "patrolling" of students' online profiles, raising questions about privacy and freedom of speech.

8. Be careful of what you post you never know who may see it… Future Employers Teachers Family (Parents)Government Officials

9. By: Jennifer Pineau Community Advisor Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH