Facebook’s New Focus on Students Whose Parents Overshared: How to empower students to protect their privacy online
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to discuss this important topic with your students in class, if you feel it is appropriate.
It’s no surprise that the social media we had ten years ago is different from the platforms students use today. In fact, the number of students using the social media platform Facebook has dropped from 71% in 2015 to just 33% today. In response to this change, Facebook has announced plans to update its platform to attract more students. These updates include better ways for content creators to make money and new features that let users share videos privately. At the same time, many students who use social media have stayed off of Facebook and are speaking up about privacy concerns. They experienced firsthand the effects of their parents or guardians sharing too much of their lives on apps like Facebook, which perhaps led them off of Facebook to other apps and to push for better privacy safeguards.
In 2018, a study reported that parents posted around 1,300 photos and videos of their children by age 13. A newer study from 2023 found that 73% of social media users don’t know everyone who sees their posts, and 68% of them reported that they share videos and posts about their children. This trend has contributed to a growing community of parenting and educator influencers on social media who regularly make and post content about their students without considering the potential long-term impact. Given Facebook’s efforts to engage more students and Gen Z’s advocacy against oversharing, it’s a great time for educators to huddle with students on the importance of protecting their privacy.
How oversharing online can impact students
In 2015, 71% of students used Facebook, and a survey from that year showed that 74% of parents knew another parent who overshared their child on social media. This culture of oversharing has led Gen Z, who grew up surrounded by social media, to advocate for students’ rights to privacy and control over their online presence. One such advocate is Cam Barrett, who frequently had her personal information shared online by her mother during childhood. In 2023, Barrett testified before Washington state lawmakers, revealing that her mother’s extensive Facebook posts led to her being bullied at school and even receiving a disturbing message from a man who claimed to have followed her home. Barrett is now calling for legislative action to protect students’ privacy online. She supports bills that require parents to allocate earnings from social media content to their children and give minors the right to delete unwanted online content posted about them.
Barrett isn’t alone in her advocacy for stronger student privacy protections. High school student Shreya Nallamothu wrote to her state senator about the numerous children featured in family “vlogs” (video blogs) on social media. Her efforts contributed to Illinois passing a law in 2023 that mandates parents to place 50% of earnings from social media content featuring their underage children into a trust fund for the child. Similarly, social media creator Caroline Easom, who has amassed over 3 million TikTok followers with skits raising awareness about family vloggers, advocates for legislation to limit the hours students can be filmed for content. To empower students to protect their privacy and control their online presence, it is important for them to feel like they have a voice and to speak up like Nallamothu and Barrett. Educators can encourage this by incorporating these discussions and examples into the classroom, equipping students with the knowledge and tools to advocate for themselves.
As for Facebook, the platform says it’s already gaining student interest through features like Facebook Marketplace, Reels, and Facebook Groups. To bring students back to its platform again, Facebook reported that it will focus on improving its feed with more relevant content, improving monetization for content creators on its platform, and updating video viewing. And it’s not just Facebook – social media apps like X (formerly Twitter) are also gaining more popularity with students.
Educators can meet students where they are and use examples like Barrett’s to empower them to protect their privacy online and offline. As social media continues to grow, educators can empower students about the role privacy plays in their lives and how they can huddle with their families and peers to feel in control of the content about them online.
TSI’s Take
Empowering students to protect their privacy on social media is more than just encouraging them to take steps toward online safety on their accounts. It’s also about encouraging them to speak up for themselves when others, like family or friends, post about them online without their consent. In the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Staying in control of what family and friends share about us, we asked students what kind of agreement they’d like to have with their families about posting things about others online. 53% of students reported they would prefer if family members always asked for approval of photos before posting them. Educators can empower students to protect their privacy by reflecting on the social media lessons we learned from the past and encouraging students to speak up for themselves regarding what family and friends post about them online.
Check out these tips educators can give their students to empower them to protect their privacy online:
- Huddle up together: Encourage students to have open conversations with their family and friends about their comfort levels with being posted online. Discussing boundaries and mutual respect can prevent potential conflicts and ensure everyone’s privacy preferences are acknowledged. Share this Student Challenge to encourage them to start the conversation.
- Create a family privacy agreement: Suggest that students create a written agreement or set of guidelines with their family members regarding social media posts. This can include rules such as asking for permission before posting photos or videos and agreeing on what types of content are acceptable to share. Share the Family Social Standards Agreement to help students do this.
- Explore how schools can protect student privacy: It’s important for schools to help protect student privacy because the educational tools they use might risk students’ data. Check out the School Playbook: Guide to handling student data and protecting their privacy.
Empowering students to speak up and protect their privacy online is crucial because challenging situations like Barrett’s can arise if their privacy isn’t respected. To discover more ways to empower students to protect their privacy on social media, check out the #WinAtSocial lesson, Staying in control of what family and friends share about us.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
What kind of agreement could you make with your family about posting pictures and videos of each other online?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.