I read in USA Today earlier in the week that many colleges and universities now have guidelines and monitors of their college athlete activities on social network sites like Facebook and Myspace. Schools are concerned that some profiles, photos and posts could damage the image and reputation of the team, and the school. This brings up an interesting dilemma, one in which I understand both sides of slope.
One the one-hand, social network sites are designed to give users an opportunity to be themselves and engage in connections with like-minded people. On the other-hand, when students take what the school considers great liberties with their personal space, it can reflect on the college or university. Is it the responsibility of the student to align their site with that of their school? Is it the responsibility of the school to monitor the activities of their students on social networking sites? Or, is it the responsibility of the social networking site to monitor the content of its site?
These are all legitimate questions, all with difficult answers. I think it boils down to all parties being responsible and engage in a dialogue about what is in the best interest of all concerned. After all, is that not the intent of a social network site? If not, schools could risk losing their biggest brand champions, their students. What do you think?
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