TRINITONIAN ONLINE JAN 2018

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PARENT DEBATE BOILING POINT: Do you think school matters should be openly discussed on Facebook? Candice Appel, ADvTECH mother and Boiling Point moderator Facebook was established back in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was initially intended as a networking tool for Harvard students. Today, Facebook is the world’s second-most popular Internet platform, behind Google, and boasts 1.13 billion daily, active users on average worldwide. So, with an influence so powerful and a reach so wide, the Boiling Point question of this issue is: do you think school matters should be openly discussed on Facebook? 30 | The Trinitonian
NO Of all the parents we asked, (approximately ten) there was a resounding vote for “No, school matters should not be discussed on Facebook!” Speaking on behalf of the group, Mike* said that they were of the opinion that social media should be used for positive news only. “Negative stories that make the ‘news’ on social media, negatively affect the reputation of the school, which negatively affects the children of that school – our children! Parents should stand together and protect the school at all costs.” All the parents asked in this survey agreed that the sensationalistic nature of social media should not be given an opportunity to take school issues out of context. “Parents should be adult enough to address specific concerns directly with the school,” continues Mike. “Stories on social media can become so exaggerated and other parents believe what they read, which means they are not necessarily getting the correct information!” Another Trinityhouse parent who works in communications, specifically in social media, says that social media platforms are essentially everyone’s personal PR manager: you only put content on social media that you want to garner a reaction for, whether it’s positive or negative. The saying “that’s old news” doesn’t even have a place in today’s society because not only does a story live online forever, but there are significant legal implications around irresponsible social media usage too. Negative stories could also have consequences when the children of today enter the working world – employers and HR departments are able to conduct a significant amount of research about an individual before they’ve met them for the first time. Dr Lizzie Harrison, who recently hosted a talk at one of the Trinityhouse campuses, said, “If you’re not prepared to see it on a billboard, don’t put it on social media.” The group further said that should negative stories manage to make their way onto social media, they feel that the issue needs to be dealt with immediately with a response from the school or school representative. If parents want further information surrounding an issue, our respondents would like to see parents use a bit of common sense and address this directly with the school and for the school to be transparent with its feedback. YES Interestingly, only one parent answered “yes” to this question. Megan* has three kids who attend two different schools. She says that the Facebook account at her son’s school is managed so well that it has actually brought the parents and teachers closer together. “What has become apparent to me is that for the first time in history, the man/woman in the street has a voice,” says Megan. “Before Facebook, we were managed by big corporates, we were fobbed off by massive institutions, we were silenced by educational facilities and to get any positive change was like moving a mountain! But with Facebook, we finally have a platform where our voices can be heard, so why would we silence important discussions that might assist others? Yes, people are immature, people misuse social media platforms and often they have other motives but if managed correctly, social media can open discussions and be an honest and powerful enforcer of change. “By not talking about it on social media do you think that the problem will be silenced? Do you know what gets discussed at birthday parties and school sports events when parents get together? If there is a disgruntled parent, believe me, they will talk about their issue to everyone, with no opportunity for the school to manage the negative backlash!” Megan’s son was once the topic of a hot Facebook debate when he was banned from a rugby match due to bad behaviour on the bus. Another parent posted how they felt the team and the school’s performance has been compromised and that another punishment should have been enforced. “The school was very quick to pick up on the post and to open the topic for discussion,” says Megan. “They got both sides of the story and they posted the two views and asked the parents to give their input. Any posts that were overly emotional or deliberately personal were given a warning or even removed. But on the whole what happened was an open, civil discussion where everyone had an opportunity to be heard. Unfortunately, the overall consensus was that my son deserved to be excluded, which upset me at the time but I respected the opinions. Through this open discussion, my son was forced to apologise and believe me, he never misbehaved again! And everyone was very supportive of us, and I walked away feeling that it really does take a village to raise a child. Positive change through open discussion!” ` The survey continues! We would like to know what your opinion is on this matter. Please mail us at Trinitonianreporter@contactmedia.co.za to share your views. They are important to us. * Names have been changed The Trinitonian | 31
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TRINITONIAN ONLINE JAN 2018

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