The 21st century is marked by many things – some positive, and some not so much, but the most important aspect of today’s age is the impact social media has on our lives. This can be tricky and confusing if you’re a teacher. Can you even be friends with your students on social media?
Teachers aren’t legally prohibited from being friends with their students on social media. However, such conduct is often either prohibited or discouraged by individual school boards and districts. Furthermore, it’s considered inappropriate and, in some cases, seen as sexual harassment.
In this article, I’ll discuss the issue of teachers being friends with their students on social media. I’ll highlight the legal side of this issue, as well as suggest the most suitable situations when teachers should (if they want) become friends with their students on social media.
Is It Illegal for Teachers To Add Their Students on Social Media?
Whenever a teacher receives a new friend request on Facebook or a “Follow” on Twitter, and they discover it’s one of their students, the first question that comes to mind is: Do I accept? And that question is usually immediately followed by: Wait, is it even legal to accept?
It’s a valid question, but the legal side of accepting a student’s friend request isn’t even the issue.
It’s not illegal for teachers to add their students on social media. This is because there’s no clear law on the federal level (in the US) prohibiting such conduct in teacher-student communication.
This certainly comes as a surprise, considering we’ve lived with social media for quite a few decades now.
Instead of focusing on the legal aspect of being friends with students on social media, teachers should consider their own position in these situations. Even today, teacher-student communication that’s informal (and private) on social media is still looked down upon. It creates a sense of unprofessional and inappropriate behavior on the teachers’ part.
So, under what circumstances can a teacher become friends with students on social media? Well, the foundational element, undoubtedly, is whether you’re teaching in a private or public school.
Private vs. Public Schools
It’s no secret that private schools enjoy more freedom. They can make their own decisions without having to follow the rigid (and often outdated) regulations and rules public schools are burdened with.
A word of caution, however – this isn’t to say private schools don’t form their own rules regarding teachers and social media. They usually have the same guidelines as many public schools on this issue. The point, however, is that private schools have more freedom and flexibility when it comes to enforcing those rules.
As mentioned, public schools have to adhere to countless regulations and rules that are either federally or locally mandated. Since there isn’t any law stating it’s illegal for a teacher to be friends with their students on social media, individual school districts regulate this by:
- Prohibiting teachers from being friends with students on social media
- Setting clear guidelines against such behavior
Remember that prohibiting something and something being illegal isn’t exactly the same. Prohibition means teachers can get fired and would need to move to another school district if they fail to comply. On the other hand, when something’s illegal, it’s usually followed by long legal battles in courts.
Existing Laws About Student Privacy
Although there aren’t any laws aimed at teachers who have their students on various social media, there are some laws discussing student privacy and data. In some cases, this is directly related to the topic of social media.
Firstly, the three most important laws
on the federal level regarding student privacy are:
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
- The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
FERPA is especially relevant for teachers and social media because it tackles the use and distribution of students’ private school records. The school mustn’t share these with any unauthorized party.
Now, the reason this is relevant to our topic here is because of a common question: What if a teacher (who’s usually a friend) shares sensitive information about a student on their social media? The info could be a name, location, or even a picture.
FERPA makes it illegal for teachers and school administration to share any of this information only if they’re part of school records – a student’s name is, for instance. Moreover, teachers would need permission from students’ parents to share their information, usually pictures. FERPA, however, doesn’t tackle the social media aspect.
An Example From a State Level: Amy Hestir Student Protection Act
In 2011, Missouri decided to take some additional steps with regard to sexual harassment that found its way into the classroom. Unfortunately, social media plays a significant role in making it easier for these horrible acts to take place between teachers and students.
Amy Hestir Student Protection Act was passed as a legal remedy meant to fill at least some portion of the gray area that is student-teacher asynchronous communication on social media. In that sense, the Act prohibited teachers from being friends with their current and former students across all social media without the school’s knowledge.
This is perhaps a radical take on the issue, but it shows how complex yet highly important it truly is. Social media is a sea of both good and bad examples. Still, coloring every teacher a possible sexual predator who needs to check if every person on their friends list might have been their student in the past isn’t a perfect solution.
When Can Teachers Be Friends With Students on Social Media?
While having your students as friends on social media isn’t illegal, it’s seen as inappropriate, especially if the teacher and student are of the opposite sex. However, there are situations when it’s completely fine to not only be friends with your students but also to communicate with them.
Here are the three instances when teachers can be friends with students on social media.
When Students Finish School and Turn 18
At this point, technically speaking, your students are adults. That’s precisely why this is the safest and most acceptable instance you can reconnect with your former students. This way, you can’t be accused of any misuse of your position in the classroom.
Furthermore, once former students come of age, their former teachers can stop being just role models and be real friends who can reconnect with their students. The unwritten rule is that teachers shouldn’t be in private contact with their students at school and those who’ve recently graduated.
So, once students are done with their school days, it becomes acceptable for teachers and students to continue their friendship on social media.
When There’s a Group of Students on Social Media
In some cases, it’s fine to be friends with students on social media even if they’re not done with school. During the period around the Covid-19 pandemic, when practically every school went online, teachers and students had to get creative with their way of communication.
Thus, many schools and teachers used social media as a way of staying in constant touch. Although there’re many platforms teachers use nowadays as part of virtual learning, like Microsoft Teams, many teachers still required a Facebook group to replace the physical classroom.
In that sense, being friends with your students on Facebook stems from necessity more than anything else. These types of social-media groups or “group chats” are great because everybody can see the comments and posts. So, no one can accuse a teacher of any inappropriate behavior since there are multiple witnesses.
An important thing to note here is that there are some schools that don’t allow teachers to create Facebook or any other social group. Therefore, it’s best to check what a particular state, district, and school have to say about this.
Finally, here’s a short video showing all this in action. In the video, you’ll see not just a Facebook group but also insight into this school district’s regulations regarding teacher-student social media communications:
Let Your Students Reach Out to You
Even if your former students are over 18 and you want to reconnect with them through social media, I wouldn’t recommend this. It’s always best when your former students reach out to you instead and send you a friend request. That way, it’s not awkward for anyone, especially for those former students who may not want to have their teacher as a friend on social media.
Additionally, it keeps the level of professional behavior intact. There’s certainly nothing wrong with being friends with students, even in real life, but the initiative shouldn’t come from you, especially when the opposite sex is involved. Essentially, it might look suspicious to others, even if there’s nothing wrong going on.
So, if your former student who is over 18 decides to send you a friend request, by all means, accept it and take that walk down memory lane.
Why Do Students Want To Be Friends With Teachers on Social Media?
When it comes to social media, most students wouldn’t mind being friends with their teachers. There are several reasons for this, such as:
- Favoritism: In the age of the internet, one of the best ways to parade your status as the teacher’s favorite is to show you two are friends on social media. It gives students a sense of entitlement and pride among their peers.
- Easier communication: Today’s world is fast-paced, and that’s true for the new generation of students who’ve grown up with high-speed internet, phones, and computers. For them, emails are too formal and even outdated compared to social media.
- Overfamiliarity: It’s easy to get too familiar with your students, especially if you’re a young teacher. Some boundaries should exist in the classroom environment, and when students overstep these limits, they start seeing you more as a friend than a teacher.
- Teacher’s fault: Most often than not, it’s the teachers, not the students, who give the impression that they should be friends on social media. In more serious instances, teachers will actually send friend requests to students.
- Guidance: Many students need additional guidance throughout their education, and some teachers can help with this. Whether it’s a private matter or school work-related, these students will want to communicate one on one with their teacher.
Should Teachers Be Allowed To Contact Students Through Social Media?
Teachers should be allowed to contact students through social media only if it’s acceptable under a specific school district’s guidelines and when used specifically for school. Private communication between a teacher and a student that’s unrelated to school is not seen as appropriate.
However, there are many other (education) platforms designed specifically for the purpose of teacher-student-parent communication. Some of the platforms that teachers can use as a substitute for social media when communicating with their students include:
- Google Classroom
- Microsoft Teams
- Remind
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Skype
Conclusion
There’s no particular law in the US that makes it illegal for teachers to befriend their students on social media. Nonetheless, you should be careful because that opens up many potential issues, such as unprofessionalism and improper behavior.
You can potentially be friends with students on social media under these circumstances:
- Make sure your former students are 18 and over
- Be friends with students only while using a group platform or chat
- If a former student sends you a friend request first
Always remember there are several other options to communicate with students other than through social media.
Sources
- Pumble: 19 Best Communication Tools for Teachers
- Technology & Marketing Law Blog: A Close Look at Missouri’s “Amy Hestir Student Protection Act” (Guest Blog Post)
- U.S. Department of Education: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Learn Platform: Student Data Privacy Regulations Across the U.S.: A Look at How Minnesota, California and Others Handle Privacy
- Infobase: How to Improve Teacher-Student Communication in Virtual Classrooms
- Justia: Is It Illegal for a Teacher To Post Pictures of Their Students on Social Media Without Consent in Ohio?
- American Board: 10 Social Media Rules for Teachers
- Quora: Can Teachers Be Friends with Former Students on Facebook?
- University of the People: Teachers and Social Media: The Online Pros and Cons
