An article in USA Today notes that parents of freshmen entering colleges have begun using Facebook profiles as a way of screening the school’s choice of roommate for their child:
“Housing officials say parents who cite Facebook most frequently mention party-related content and photos as their primary concerns. Parents sometimes see cups in photos and make the leap to alcohol and drugs, Manetas says. But Robin Berkowitz-Smith of Syracuse University says race, religion and sexual orientation are the top three concerns from parents contacting officials there. Maureen Wark of Suffolk University in Boston also ranked sexual orientation as a top concern of parents. Wark recalls getting a call from a parent who had ‘psychological and sanitary concerns’ about a student’s new roommates, both of whom were gay men. ‘People don’t give other people a chance,’ she says.”
Officials at Syracuse, who place a “freeze” on room changes for the first few months of school, appear to have a sane approach to the situation, however:
“[Robin] Berkowitz-Smith says Syracuse officials talk with students when they arrive on campus to determine whether they actually have reservations about a roommate, rather than assuming students have the same concerns parents do.”
Facebook pages concern parents of college freshmen [usa today]
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