Privacy and the Internet

I have a Facebook page. I opened it originally so that I could view applicants pages when I was making a hiring decision, as a preschool Director. My thought was, "If I can see it, than my parents can see it." In retrospect, I was looking at someone's private life that had nothing to do with their ability to their job. But the fact of the matter is that a teacher's social and professional life have some blurred lines. What a parent sees a teacher do outside of work will affect their trust and opinion of the teacher at work. It is unfortunate, but it is a fact of life. Having a parent see something inappropriate on a social networking site, is the new "getting seen at the bar". It is up to the teachers to recognize this ability to be seen, and take precautions to prevent the airing of their dirty laundry. Using the privacy settings that are available on these sites is a good step.
On a side note, having access to all of my teacher's profiles was beneficial for our school community. It was very easy to take temperature checks of my staff and see how they were feeling about their job, or be aware of personal issues that were affecting their work. I was able to give these teachers the attention that they needed from a leader, lend an ear or a shoulder, and determine what approach I would take to a necessary coaching. I was able to build very strong bonds with my staff, and there was definite trust between us. I also used my Facebook posts to share kind words, inspirational quotes, and sometimes just a much needed pat on the back. Social network sites definitely support the building of a community.
Now that I have promoted in my company, I have 'un-friended' my old staff and co-workers. Working for the HR department made me realize that it would be better if I just didn't know. I also did not want to risk writing something that they shouldn't know either. Suddenly, Facebook had become lonely. However, there are many educational applications to this site, that I intend to become acclimated to and discover the new uses of social networking sites.