By Christopher Salute, SIOP Blogger
It’s Midnight on a Thursday- I’m in the middle of working on a research study that my colleagues and I are trying to complete by the semester’s end. And, by that, I mean I’m reading Facebook updates and watching television. In the middle of my work, I receive an inbox message from one of my current students. This is a first for me. Actually, this semester is full of firsts. And, these firsts definitely have a lot to do with our collective Universities’ incoming generation: tech savvy, socially connected, and demanding of immediate feedback.
Yes, I am a young professor. And, if I do say so myself, I am a pretty cool dude! So, naturally, I would imagine everyone on campus wants to be my digital friend. I picture them drooling over my crock-pot recipes and laughing hysterically at my movie quotes and sports comments. Still, you can imagine my shock when I received my first friend request from a current student. I’ve had former students send requests after the semester ends or after graduation. Now, here’s a student I currently teach. But, there’s a catch. They also happen to be a participant in a club that I advise, on campus. And part of our working together revolves around building our division’s social media platform. So, what is a professor to do? I “confirmed,” knowing that my status updates are very mild and this was a trusted student.
