Facebook has become a popular tool for school-parent communication. However, there could be many downsides using Facebook in schools that schools are either not aware of or tend to ignore.
- Using Facebook often consumes a lot of time. It is a medium for socialization, and users feel an irresistible need to constantly connect to others. This takes up time and can be all-consuming
- There is an unhealthy trend of parents being constantly wired, which can make it difficult for them to disengage from their social lives.
- Facebook offers a false sense of privacy that often develops from using text, photos and videos. This could have serious consequences in a public medium. What parents and schools do not realize is that anything that by posting on social media, they lose their control and ownership of that content. Most users rarely read the privacy terms and conditions on Facebook, which makes an interesting result.
- Most importantly, Facebook makes money for each additional person who signs up. So if an entire school signs up, it’s putting money in the pocket of Facebook and not the other way around, in a time where schools are financially hurting around the country.
So the broader question to ask is: are there better and more secure ways for schools to effectively engage and interact with parents, without using social media?