Students befriending teachers on social networking sites depend upon the teacher and the student. Teachers shouldn't keep close tab on the student's personal life with other friends and the student should maintain a healthy relationship with the teacher. It also depends upon their relationship in the school and how well they know the student.
Susanna Correya / St Joseph's A.I. Hr Sec School, Chennai

I think it enhances as well as harms the student-teacher relationship. In today's fast-paced life, there is not much scope for student-teacher bonding in class, this leads to the absence of a necessary bond. Students come to view their teachers as friends and companions which make a strong relationship between the students and the teachers which help in their studies too.
Rakhi Ravi / Assumption College, Changanachery

Social networking sites are some of the best means to make new interactions and even improve the interactions with previous acquaintances. Hence, the interactions between teachers and students in social networking sites will definitely enhance their relationship. Not only will the students start feeling open with their teachers but the teachers will get a chance to know about many interesting thoughts of the students with the help of their status updates, notes and many more things. The informal nature of such sites can turn out to be quite beneficial for both teachers and students to know each other better and understand each other well.
Roselina Roby / Anandalaya, Anand

When a teacher and a student become friends on a social networking site it might lead to biased behavior from the teacher towards that particular student in class which is not fair to the other students. A teacher can be friendly with the student but not to the extent that he/she befriends the other online. The teacher/student may also view personal things on the other person's account and it could lead to humiliation on both sides as well.
Anjali Mascarenhas

Being friends with our teachers is good to the extent that it will help students and teachers to know each other very well and will create a friendly background enabling better understanding and co-ordination between them. Also students will not be so terrified with their teachers the way they usually are. But making them friends on social sites harm their relations to a huge extent as it will devoid the relation between the two parties. The relationship of teachers and students should not be so friendly because there would be no discipline and the latter would never listen to the former. The meaning of the word "teacher" would be lost somewhere.
Jasmine Bano / Jaipur

The student-teacher relationship is a very sacred one. The elements of awe and respect are absolutely essential for the proper learning and good development of a child. Thus, students should not befriend their teachers on social networking sites as this lets the students peep and sometimes even probe into the personal lives of their teachers blurring the edges of formality. Moreover, the intimate information of a person available on these sites can be negatively exploited for the advantage of either party. A certain distance should be maintained between the teacher and the taught in order to maintain the sanctity of the guru-shishya relation as enshrined in Indian culture.
Mansi Wadhwa / St Anselm's Pink City School, Jaipur

There is no harm in adding teachers on your social networking account as long as it does not invade your own personal space. It could enhance their relationship and they may understand each other better. It also keeps a check on the activity of students and they can be guided with more care.
Kritika Nigam / St Mary's Convent, Allahabad

I am personally opposed to the idea of the so-called "friendship" between teachers and students on social networking sites simply because it spoils the decorum of this pure relationship. Nowadays, news abounds with examples of how interaction on social networks can ruin the mutual respect between students and teachers. Even if not misused, being friends on such sites can change opinions and attitudes of students towards their teachers and vice versa. So, I feel that it is better to keep the student-teacher relationship down to the tangible world and not extend them to the virtual field, thereby maintaining the modesty and respect between teachers and students!
Nimisha Roy / Mahatma Hansraj Modern School, Jhansi