Click. Facebook newsfeed. Scroll, click. Twitter feed. Flash, tap, send. Snapchat story. Social media has a ubiquitous presence in everyday student life, with the average teenager spending nearly six hours per day perusing their friends’ pages or their peers’ stories. However, students aren’t the only ones using virtual communication; teachers are participating as well.

“I love twitter. It’s a free form of information, and I am on it many times after school,” government teacher Tony Budetti said. “It’s a way for me to push my agenda and keep my followers updated.”

While Budetti uses social media as a tool for communicating with students, English teacher Lindsey McFall is more wary about its uses in the classroom setting.

“I think there’s a very important distinction between the professional and personal when you bring technology into the classroom and world of education,” McFall said. “Social media is a good way to keep in touch with old friends and to keep family and friends informed about what’s going on in my life, but I don’t want to see what my students are doing on the weekends.”

While she does not use Facebook or Twitter as a means to connect with students, McFall still sees social media’s usefulness in school instruction.

“In a way that’s what Google Classroom is –  a place to post where I can share assignments with students and give quick feedback.”

Budetti also envisions social media as a platform for furthering classroom activities.

“I think it’s just another avenue to push out information, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Budetti said. “There’s so much information available to the younger students today, and it’d be nice to incorporate it into our classroom.”