How should teachers behave on social media? Should they accept friend requests from students, and should they post personal photos or refrain from doing so?
The Media Initiatives Center (MIC) has developed the “Social Media and Electronic Communication: An Ethical Code of Conduct for Teachers” guide, which provides clear standards for teachers’ online behavior.
Ani Yeghiazaryan, a media literacy specialist at the MIC and one of the authors of the code of conduct, states that she developed a guide for a private school in 2020. She now believes that it is time to implement a similar initiative for public schools.
The main objective is to help teachers use social networks more effectively. Unfortunately, many educators often share content on various platforms that can be detrimental to their professional image. The code of conduct serves as a media literacy tool designed to prevent the spread of misinformation, safeguard the teacher-student-parent relationship, and promote a healthy digital environment,” notes Yeghiazaryan.
Some teachers, not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, can unintentionally spread hate speech and misinformation. For instance, there was a case where a teacher took a Facebook quiz to determine when she would die and shared the results on her page, along with a picture of a tombstone; this led both school staff and students to mistakenly believe that she had passed away.
“This guide serves to remind and educate individuals about media literacy and digital literacy. Teachers should not fall victim to false information and misinformation; rather, they should act as advocates and ambassadors for media literacy, bringing this essential knowledge into the classroom environment,” stated the specialist.
“How are we going to control all this in our rapidly growing technological environment? If we write it down, we define all this on paper, then we must also hold accountable those who have violated it. Will we give a warning, or suspend them from work? I agree that people often serve as examples through their behavior, and what they publish on social networks should be literate, not turn into criticism or ridicule. Still, the rest remains open,” says Susanna Azatyan, head of the department for the development and implementation of general education and extracurricular programs at the ESCS.
“This code of conduct is designed not to limit teachers, but to protect them. It establishes clear boundaries and provides essential tools to ensure that educators feel safe in the digital environment. In doing so, it helps them safeguard not only themselves but also their students and the school,” explains Ani Yeghiazaryan.
According to Armine Arshakyan, the principal of Grigor Zohrap High School No. 97, the need for a social media code of conduct has arisen due to issues that have accumulated over the years.
“Currently, teachers lack guidance on several important topics. For instance, can a teacher post pictures with students? Are they allowed to share personal photos? These are questions that teachers face daily in their work. Having a guide to address these concerns would be very beneficial for them,” she noted.
Arshakyan said that in the future, teachers will not rely solely on their personal instincts or ideas, which will alleviate many challenges if they adhere to the guide. The school principal also emphasized that the guide should serve as an advisor rather than impose additional responsibilities on the teachers.
Experts emphasize the importance of the guide in safeguarding children’s personal data. Gevorg Hayrapetyan, a personal data protection expert from CyberHub, states that everyone, regardless of profession or age, should develop skills in using online resources, especially those working in the educational sector.
“How should these skills be developed? There are various methods, but one effective approach is the guideline method, which establishes rules and conditions. By following these, teachers can gain the essential knowledge and skills needed to navigate the Internet safely. Without this critical skill being integrated into schools, children’s personal data remains vulnerable, leading to potential violations of their rights. Let’s consider an example: if a school has a Facebook page that posts information about events and activities, including pictures of students, this could violate data protection regulations. The school is publishing children’s personal information, often without obtaining parental permission or justifying the need for its publication,” stated Gevorg Hayrapetyan. He believes that having clear rules will simplify the situation for everyone involved.
“Consider the example of road traffic. We know how to cross the street and which color of traffic light to look for. If we find ourselves in a place like Strasbourg, we will cross the street in the same way because we have developed a skill that we can apply universally. In today’s digital age, having the ability to navigate the Internet is as essential as breathing,” the specialist explained.
The guide is currently under review by government agencies, educators, and experts. Once finalized, it will be submitted to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture for implementation.
