Social Media in Education

Facebook recently reached 1 billion users and at least 700 of those users are HHS students.

Walking throughout the atrium, it is hard not to see at least two students checking Facebook. Hanover High School students are privileged enough to have computers and Internet access to gather information. A downside to this is that students are constantly exposed to social networks like Facebook. Students are always on social media to see what their friends are doing and to see if they are free after school or how the test was that they just finished. Facebook can be an incredible distraction from doing homework during free time and doing work while in class, but it also can be helpful to students. My class of 2015 has a group on Facebook where fellow students ask questions about certain classes and the homework assignments for that night. They also give announcements for sports games and other information they would like to share with their fellow classmates.

Captains of sports teams use Facebook groups to communicate with their fellow athletes. This allows the captains to inform their team about  schedule changes and what they are supposed to wear for team spirit. Many students have expressed that social networks like Facebook have helped them more than once with answering challenging homework questions and have allowed them to study with friends. Students have also commented on how they like the open forum of Facebook groups. Many teachers seem to support students using social networks as long as they are not being used during class and their homework is their work and not the work of others.