1 New Friend Request: It’s Your Professor Do You Confirm?
By JEFF PALMER
As the popularity of Facebook continues to soar, it becomes one of the most ubiquitous means of communication in the 21st century, college professors are considering academic applications of the social networking site. While many still believe in the strict delineation of the student-teacher relationship, others express no hesitation whatsoever in making their profile public to their pupils. A handful of professors and students were asked for their views in an attempt to get the scoop on the University of Tampa’s popular opinion on the issue. Erica Dawson, assistant professor of English at UT, said that while she owns a Facebook account, she does not allow her social and academic lives to mix. She did, however, believe strongly in the potential of the site. “Even though I have a no-friending-students policy, I think Facebook groups created by/for a particular class or club are fantastic.” Dawson said. “They can be great forums for discussions that can’t fit into class time and, maybe more importantly, groups like that can create a real sense of community for the students.” She seemed less confident about the site’s value within the classroom itself. “I’m not sure if it serves any academic purpose, but that’s a hard phrase to define,” said Dawson. She said that Facebook had been tremendously effective in allowing her to promote her own literary works and spread awareness of poetry readings that she had participated in. Echoing Dawson’s views, Charlotte Moscardini of the writing department also expressed her firm belief that Facebook should have no place in the unique relationship between teacher and student. “I do not share my Facebook account with students,” Moscardini said. “There’s News Reporter
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6 Years, 500 Million Users Later, Facebook Has Gone Viral Facebook has been an addiction Asst. News Editor for active users since creator Mark Zuckerberg launched it in his Harvard University dorm room in February 2004. Now six years later, more than 500 million people worldwide have become members of the social networking site. Each month more than 700 billion minutes are spent chatting, posting or scrolling on Facebook making it the second most visited website in the world today. “Facebook has allowed [students] to maintain connections with family and friends who aren’t so close,” said Scott Paine, chair of the University of Tampa department of communication. “But it can be a distraction.” Paine understands the allure. He created a profile of his own and admitted to friending his high-school sweetheart and catching up with her after many years of no contact.
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By JOSH NAPIER
Facebook Addiction Disorder Sophomore writing major Amber Koski is one of many UT students who have trouble working when Facebook is up. “I have to unplug my computer if I have to get homework done,” Koski said. “You can easily spend four hours on Facebook and not even realize it…. It’s a disease.” According to studies conducted by clinical and school psychology researcher Michael Fenichel, Koski is right. U.S. psychologists have even introduced the term Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) into the national lexicon, referring to those who have allowed their lives to be controlled by the social networking site. “The irony of who is most pathologically addicted . . . is that nobody may be left to observe or treat this huge behavioral phenomenon,” Fenichel said. “Everybody is too focused on walls, apps, networks and finding old and new friends.” Psychologist Lynlee Howard-Payne agrees. “Universities, [See Addiction, 2]
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