WARNING! This website is no longer actively maintained. It is an archive of 2 years work by Doug Belshaw who now blogs at dougbelshaw.com...
When I found out about MySpace I signed myself up straight away to get involved. After all, it was the Next Big Thing! Soon after, however, I felt uneasy and deleted my account. I’ve just done exactly the same thing - signed up and then deleted my account very quickly afterwards. I feel increasingly the little voice at the back of my head saying ‘just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should…’
A little bit of background and context before I continue. My Dad was deputy headmaster of the school that I attended from 13 to 16 years of age. He was also manager of my football team. And, obviously, around at home. Consequently wherever I went, he was there. Which is great, but everyone needs their own space. I found it through reading, spending time with my friends, and going online (sneakily via Compuserve’s free one month offer…)
Kids need to be educated about the dangers of the Internet. Let me say that first and be completely upfront about it. They need to be aware that what they post can be seen by anyone and that it’s not exactly difficult to pin people down to physical location in this day and age. That said, I think that sometimes we infringe on their privacy a bit.
Social networks are things that can and should be used in schools. But I don’t think we should be encouraging them to use their MySpace or Bebo account: we should be encouraging them to use spaces that we set up with them collaboratively. These need to be negotiated spaces otherwise they’re not going to be successful. An example of the type of buy-in possible with social spaces - although not in this case social networking - is Kristian Still’s wiki that he’s set up for his students working towards their BTEC National in Sport. Looking at some of the discussion pages there’s some mature conversations being had.
An example which I’ve begun to use is Imbee.com. This is a social networking site and one that’s geared towards kids. it’s a safe environment and parents and teachers can set limits on what students are able to do. So far I haven’t used it extensively for educational purposes due to disruptions unrelated to the site, but I do definitely see potential in it. Whilst students have been using it for socialising as well, this is a different proposition from hijacking something that is used for social purposes for education.
So we need to allow there to be spaces where kids can be kids. Where they can make mistakes, where they can try out different styles and attitudes, and where they can go through all the processes of going up without someone watching them all the time.
What do you think? Have I got a valid point here or am I feeling something that no-one else is? 
Deleted my account for the second time quickly after setting it up.
Tell story of my Dad being everywhere when I was young - need somewhere to ‘be yourself’ and even be someone else - experiment…
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Hmm. I think you make very valid points. I don't have any real answers, but thought I would share my own epxeriences.
I think it's healthy and respectful to give students a place of their own. I agree that we need to teach safety, too … but that's not the same as constant supervision.
I do have a MySpace profile. I created it a few years ago to keep in touch with friends in other states. I never mentioned it to any of my students or tried to find them online. However, a few former students found me, and added me, and from there I've had many students–current and former–request to "add me" as a friend.
I don't have anything on my profile that I would be embarrassed about anyone seeing–students, administrators, parents, co-workers–so, as long as I know the student personally, I will grant the request.
I have a number of students who contact me on MySpace about school-related issues, including former students asking for recommendations, feedback on writing assignments, or other advice.
But the first contact always comes from them. I may leave a "happy birthday" message when I notice, but other than that, I don't contact them … because it is partially their space, and because we aren't "friends" in the same way that they're friends with each other or that I'm friends with others my age on MySpace.
So, I don't know if that was helpful, but that's been my experience with MySpace, and I've enjoyed the ability to stay in touch with students after they leave my classroom … on their terms.
Thanks for sharing that, Eric. I think what you're saying is that you treat MySpace as a social network yourself, rather than as something that can be leveraged/infiltrated for educational use. I have no problem with that, as we are human beings as well as teachers with our own interests and biases.
I suppose the only thing I'd add is that young people, unless you see interact with them a lot, find it difficult to respond to you on two different levels. Hence, on MySpace you'll always be a teacher to them. This, of course, means there are risks and warnings that apply…
Doug, I completely agree and have resisted getting accounts on MySpace and, more importantly in UniversityWorld, Facebook for precisely your reasons. Interestingly, however, students don't always see why they can't use systems with great functionality rather than the cut-down, walled garden versions available from VLEs. Of course, they can if they self-organise but the real benefit is that universities will come under pressure to raise their game.