When Students Open Up -- A Little Too Much
Sarah Schweitzer,
Boston Globe,
Sept 28, 2005
Discussion of what could happen if students post indiscreetly on online discussion boards such as Facebook (a closed social network for university students). Most of the examples centre around drug references, for some reason, though presumably students could be indiscreet about other topics as well. The author cites a prediction that "a political candidate - probably 20 years from now - getting in hot water on account of something posted on Facebook." Well, maybe. In his book Tomorrow Now, author Bruce Sterling calls this phenomena 'network toxicity' and notes that there are no safeguards in place to prevent it. But such behaviour is so common, and such disclosures so pervasive, he suggests, that people 20 years from now will find out reactions "quaint and naive". He writes, "Perhaps the best hope is that this particular form of moral panic becomes passe from overuse." Certainly, the warnings are becoming so. Via University Business.
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