How Facebook reflects your professionalism, or maybe the lack of it

Glori Hinck, a 2010 graduate of Boise State’s M.E.T. program and an associate professor of chiropractic education at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been analyzing Facebook sites maintained by chiropractic students and has a curious tale to tell.

And it is a tale that EdTech students should think about, as well.

Her research shows that almost half (42%) of the 308 Facebook sites she visited featured unprofessional behavior. Using definitions of professionalism gleaned from peer-reviewed journals, Hinck says 34% of these Facebook sites allowed unrestricted public access to pictures featuring alcohol consumption and 26% provided access to photos exhibiting overt sexuality.
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She asked an important question in her recent presentation to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, “Would you hang these photos on your office wall?” All pre-professional students, including EdTech students who are already practicing professionals, should think about it.

What are the ramifications? What do certain pictures mean to certain people and should you care? In a word, yes. Professionals, whether teachers or chiropractors, are very public people whose employment to some extent depends on community approval.

The problem with potentially offensive material is its subjectivity. For example, photos of a big game hunter with his or her trophy animal are well received by some people but may be offensive to others, as shown by the recent hullabaloo related to posting of big game trophy pictures by Donald Trump’s son.

The hunting picture might be fine in rural Minnesota where hunting is an accepted way of life, but the same photo may not be well received by clients in downtown Minneapolis.

The same is true of party pictures. A professional may drink with friends, but is it professional to make such images public?

That’s the question that professionals of all stripes need to ask themselves.

And here’s another.

What’s on your Facebook site?


NOTE: Next week, we’ll take a closer look at the role of Facebook in hiring practices.