The Views Expressed Represent Mine Alone: Academic Freedom and Social Media

Abstract

In recent years, the academic community has become increasingly engaged with social media. While the adoption of social media has the potential to offer significant pedagogical and research benefits, this article acknowledges that the use of social media also carries some risk. Due to shareability of digital communications, an academic has less control over comments posted online than opinions expressed in the lecture theatre. This risk has been realised in a number of recent controversies concerning the use of social media by academics. In response to the fear of negative publicity or reputational risk, academic institutions may be tempted to supervise the use of social media by their employees. This article evaluates the threat to academic freedom posed by this institutional oversight and considers the best regulatory approach to address the issue.