Colleges are experimenting with Facebook and other social networks to notify students about emergencies like crimes and floods—and get vital information in return. Most emergency-alert systems send out warnings. But social networks give students a chance to add on-the-scene reports or trade information if trouble hits. In addition to cell-phone and e-mail alerts, the social networks also give colleges yet another way to reach students in a crisis.
The prospect has some safety officials excited by the possibilities of letting students trade crisis information over Facebook and MySpace, but others worried that it could open an alert system up to misleading rumors.
Discussion Starters
1.) Crises of one form or another occur in schools and on college campuses each year. What do you see as the pros and cons of such campus warning systems?
2.) Do you think safety officials have a valid concern that using online social networks would lead to unfounded concerns among intended recipients — or others? How would using social networking sites be better or worse than using email addresses or cell phone numbers?
3.) Do you think resources would be utilized better if directed toward preventing crises than funneled into technology to warn people once they already have occurred? Why, or why not?
