Facebook University - Enriching the College Experience

As a huge advocate of social media and educational technology, this infographic really caught my attention at how Facebook is still embraced by students who continue their education in graduate school. I firmly believe, that when used correctly, social media can truly help educators and students succeed by sharing information and developing friendly, but professional relationships.

Here is a breakdown of some information from the graphic below:

• 82% of American Universities have Facebook Pages to communicate with prospective students.
• 40% of faculty have students as friends.
• 60% of students have faculty as friends.
• More engaged students spend more time creating and RSVPing to events, commenting on posts and looking at photos.
• Active Facebook users are more likely to stay in college.

However, Facebook does have its negatives as one can see - but as I stated earlier, when used properly, the opportunity for success is there.

Facebook has changed the way college students do everything - how they make friends, date, share stories and increasingly, get an education. Facebook doesn’t taper off much at the graduate school level either - PhD students seem to be just as into social media as undergrads. Some studies say Facebook is beneficial to students while others say it’s harmful; but taken together, the research suggests it all depends on how students use it.