Although report upon report has praised the benefits of the integration of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter into classrooms (Akcaoglu & Bowman, 2016; Bowman & Akcaoglu, 2014; Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007) there are enough critiques to slow down or all together stop the integration of social media in learning environments. One of these glaring criticisms for the integration of these social media is the potential for relatively anonymized cyber bullying which is especially prevalent and vicious against LGBTQ+ populations (Llorent, Ortega-Ruiz, & Zych, 2016; Flynn, 2009; Stansbury, 2009; Young, 2009). Another issue is while students may be interested in the idea of using Facebook or other social networking sites within the classroom, the faculty, in contrast, have a complete lack of interest in implementing these projects (Roblyer, McDaniel, Webb, Herman, & Witty, 2010). In addition, students may feel their identity is being highjacked against their will. Students may use the affordances of SNSs for identity exploration and creation, being as these performances of identity are public in nature (and permanent due to inexpensive storage capacity), the encroachment of a mandatory assignment can feel like a disturbance in this creative space. In the Roblyer et al. (2010) study, “some [students] (12%) reacted negatively because of the potential to infringe on their sense of personal privacy.” Grades can even be directly affected through the improper use of Facebook. Junco (2012) found that study time and GPA can be adversely affected if proper techniques aren’t used by students while they are on Facebook. In sum, while the impulse to connect with students and have culturally relevant teaching practices within the classroom may be a good one, the techniques and pedagogy behind such an implementation would have to be further developed from where we currently are.
As a member of the contingent who supports social media use in the classroom I found the Roblyer et al. (2010) article to be unconvincing evidence to keep social media out of the classroom. Although Roblyer et al. concluded that students see more potential for social media use as an educational tool compared with faculty, both students and faculty see the usefulness of SNS for social purposes. It may be the case that SNS used in educational context facilitate social interaction outside of classrooms, helping to improve social relations at school. Additionally, the Roblyer et al. article admits that the landscape of social media is changing at a rapid pace, and suggest that in the near future the use of SNS in educational environments may be common and well-established. Finally, although there are challenges to the use of SNS in education, there are also drawbacks to NOT using SNS in education. The lack of engagement and motivation pervasive throughout our educational system must be addressed if improved academic outcomes are to become a reality. Properly managed and implemented social networking sites may provide a window of opportunity to improve student engagement and motivation.
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