This is the day and age where privacy is practically non-existent; this lack of privacy holds true even more so for students. School administration and staff are more involved in student personal lives than ever. The schools involvement in students’ lives have become more prevalent when situations arise that faculty feel obligated to react to. Situations that students partake in may cause problems on or off school grounds. Such as inappropriate postings or even engaging in activities that cause an immediate problem to the students themselves or put others around them in danger. 

   Where is the line drawn? When is it too much? Is the students right to privacy being intruded on? Some consider it to be overstepping boundaries when administration becomes too “in the loop.” 

   Another opinion is that the school only wants what is best for their students, some of which hold a residence in the school for over half of their students lives. The main message is that they just want their students to stay safe and be responsible. 

   The bottom line is that this invasion of privacy is a transgression that is becoming more noticable over the recent years and it seems unfair, but it is an invasion of privacy that we are inviting.

    Understandably, when students post publicly about what they do in their free time, then the school feels it is acceptable to take action. However, what is in question here is the amount of interference the school has on the students posting things on personal accounts.  

   This matters to the school because the posts, from the students that attend their school, reflect back on the school itself, but there is a line of what is really personal and what is not.

   With the growth of social media only increasing as the years go on, a virtual footprint is created that will last a lifetime. There is no telling who will view this “footprint,” including school administration, employers or family and friends, and whether or not everyone who sees it will approve of it. 

  In addition, technicality, the school cannot punish you for something that you do outside of school unless it interferes with school life or endangers the safety of you,other students, or staff who may be involved. 

   Students will post at their own will. Of course there are protections like freedom of speech, but this does not mean students are not judged for what they post. 

   The primary interest of the school is the safety of all students, and if the administration thinks that student safety might be compromised, even off campus, they might feel compelled to act. For example, if a student has a bunch of posts about vaping or partying, the administration might watch that student closely. That is just a fact with this new generation. 

    The new generation, Generation Z  – the generation of the internet, are technology dependent. The difference between the iGen’ers and their social elders is the fact they’ve had access to an unprecedented amount of information on the internet, a tool they’ve never been without. Most students do not know a life or school environment without technology. Because of this digital bond to the internet, they may need to be reminded that what they say and post online does have an affect on them and may be detrimental to their school life, depending on the kind of postings they have.