Your teacher, your "friend"?

This week's column is by Audio Editor Rita Forbes.

Online stalking can be addictive. Don't say you haven't done it. It might start with reading a friend's blog or googling an acquaintance, but at some point, it moves to Facebook — Facebook, that social-networking site with 800 million active users. Depending on your privacy settings, and your level of creepiness, that could be either 800 million potential stalkers or 800 million potential stalkees.

"Creeping" on Facebook is pretty harmless, of course. It's in our nature to be curious. And our friends, family and acquaintances post status updates and photos with the expectation that we'll look at them.

But do you accept every friend request that comes your way? Would you "friend" your boss? Your mom? Your doctor? It can get a little thorny. Add minors into the mix, and it's even more complicated. I know high-school teachers who are "friends" with their students. It's an easy way to answer questions and remind kids of assignments. And what high-school student isn't on Facebook? But other friends who teach have told me they wouldn't dream of "friending" a student. They want to keep their personal lives private.

My home state of Missouri made international headlines this year when a senator introduced a law to ban teachers and students from communicating on sites like Facebook. I'd been following the controversy from a distance, and when I went home for a visit in September, I wanted to find out what people there thought about what was happening.

In Pleasant Hill, Missouri, I asked people "Should teachers and students be 'friends' on Facebook?" A lot of people were kind enough to stop and talk to me, and they shared some very interesting views. In the Debate section of the November Spotlight, you can meet eight of my fellow Missourians, including a high-school student, an editor at the local newspaper, and a school-bus driver.

On Spotlight Audio, you can hear longer responses from other Missourians. Find out what they think about this issue. And then, take a few minutes to think about your own online limits.