Digital Smarts - Take Five: Posting on Social Media

Educators have stirred debate about the use of social media, both locally and elsewhere, sometimes garnering national attention for their online posts. Still, school systems have been slow to adopt policies for administrators, teachers and staff on using social media with the result being, as one school board member put it, “Technology is like water. It can revive you, and sometimes it can drown you."

Marcus Messner, a social media professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, reminds social media users – teachers, parents and students alike - that freedom of speech does not guarantee shared material won't go viral or stir a storm of controversy. What’s his solution? Take a break for five minutes. Then, if you still think it's a good idea to share your thoughts (or images) or someone else’s in cyberspace, go ahead.