There's another blackout at Harrisburg University.
Beginning yesterday at 8 a.m., the young science and technology institution blocked access over its network to several popular social media sites. The intentional and scientific social media blackout, which received national attention when it debuted last year, runs through Sept. 28.
Part of the intent, as fleshed out during the 2011 Social Media Summit held at the school last week, is encouraging students to set healthy personal boundaries around future social media use.
“The hope is to make habits and effects of social media use more visible and understandable, particularly in the classroom, through temporary abstinence,” says Dr. Eric Darr, executive VP and provost at the school, in a news release.
On the blocked list: Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Orkut, Hi5, Linkedin, Twitter, Twitxr, Plurk, Tweetpeek and texting outlets.
A survey completed by 25 percent of HU's students and 40 percent of its faculty after last year's blackout revealed that 20 percent of student respondents spent between 11-20 hours a day using social media sites. Also, 25 percent of students reported better concentration in the classroom during the blackout week.
JOE PETRUCCI is managing editor of Keystone Edge. Send feedback here.