Courtesy of socialmediamarketingfella.com
In the recent past, multiple students have been disciplined for instances over social media. These instances vary in significance and impact, but they all share one thing in common: administrators monitor students on their personal social media accounts.

Many recent incidents across the country have sparked the social media monitoring debate.

In November, an incident in Huntsville, Alabama led to the expulsion of 14 students after the school searched through their accounts. The Huntsville City Schools hired T&W, Inc., a firm that employs ex-FBI agents. The school district paid $157,000 for the firm to go through students’ social media accounts.

In the summer of 2012, Glendale School District, located in a suburb of Los Angeles, spent $40,000 to track what students of the middle and high school were posting on different social media accounts.

Students should not be punished for what they have done far away from the campus. I can understand students being upset for being punished for instances that do not concern the school or students attending the school, but in instances where the punishment is justifiable or it involves the school, the administration should punish students and those consequences should be clear and consistent.

The De Smet handbook states, “De Smet Jesuit prohibits any type of activity that could be deemed harassing or bullying. This includes but is not limited to creating any online website or webpage referring to any De Smet Jesuit student, faculty, or staff, without their explicit permission.”

The concerning thing about this statement is that there is no guideline for punishment. For all other computer violations there is a punishment that is clearly stated for each offense.

Social media monitoring by schools is a reminder that anyone is able to see what students post, but the school should have a guideline for punishments just as they do for other offenses.