Social networking can be an easy method of outputting information, whether it's about your upcoming recital or suggestions for a new place to buy strings. You can remind little Jenny on her Facebook page to bring in her pencil next week instead of pen and can nudge Sally's mom on Twitter about the changed lesson time for Friday. Parents and clients can see a little more into your interests and personality than you may normally show in a professional setting, and you can find some insight into their lives in the same way.
The dangers of networking sites are "tmi"-too much information. Logging onto Facebook right now, some of the topics in the status updates are: Reisling, sparkly booty shorts, the Vikings, Eagles, and Saints, snow, dirty laundry, hating work, Hanukkah, going out to bars. These are topics your students or parents can read about if you become their friend on facebook. From your political views to your favorite alcohol to the picture of you acting like your favorite animal, you're leaving a lot more information out there than you would maybe reveal in conversation with a student or their parents. Do you want to give your students and clients reasons not to choose you based on anything but your experience and personality? Leaving a virtual trail can lead to questions and judgments that you as a teacher shouldn't have to address-so don't make it available.
Besides the parents judging your opinions and beliefs, you need to command your students' respect and trust in order to be good teachers to them through the years. While it may benefit you to see what they're thinking and are interested in online that you may not know about otherwise, you have to remember that it goes both ways. As much as you may not have asked for it, you are a role model for your students, and if your 13-year-old student sees or reads about you acting in a way she/he was taught was innappropriate, it may impair your relationship in the studio.
I've known teachers in the past who have communicated with their students through Facebook to set up lesson times and cancellations. If that really works best for you, that's your choice. But if you're keeping track of your schedule, lessons missed/made, and makeup policies, email or on paper is a better place to store that information. Another reason not to organize life on Facebook or Twitter is that the parent is not forced to be involved-something that I prefer to maintain until their child is 18 and heading to college.
Mom-proofing everything you touch on the screen is a great way to keep yourself private. When my mother joined Facebook, the first thing I did was send my sister an SOS message. Then I purged my page, deleting pictures and information. Since then, I've also removed my political and religious views, deleted wall posts that others may have written to me, and taken off a lot of personal contact information. There are also specific privacy settings you can set that controls how much a person can see.
If you really want to use these networks for business purposes, then you have to be strict with what you post and whose friendships you accept. Postings should be about lesson cancellations, upcoming concerts or gigs, or tips for changing pedal felts; not about what you had for dinner or how annoying Jill was at lesson today because she wouldn't stop kicking her feet. If you don't want to have a professional page, then keep your personal page personal-don't accept or make friendships with your students, their parents, wedding clients, etc. I sometimes hesitate to accept friendships of other harpists as well. If you want the best of both worlds, open two accounts, and keep them very strictly apart.
Remember that no one can tell if you don't accept their friendship-and in the grander scheme of things, not being friends on Facebook or blocking someone on Twitter will not ruin your relationships with anyone.
Some networking sites to be aware of:
- MySpace
- Twitter
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
- Gmail
- aim/messenger
- bebo
- dating sites (match.com, eHarmony, okcupid)
- Live Journal/Xanga
- flickr
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