Social media allows virtually anyone to create and manage their own
profile, but what are people using this feature for? The answer honestly varies
depending on the person. Some people create profiles to promote businesses,
some people use it as a way to communicate with others, and there are many other
reasons that a person might create a social media profile, but what many
people, especially younger people do not realize is that potential employers
are starting to use social media to screen applicants for jobs, and once something
is put on social media, even if you delete something, sometimes there is no way
to actually take it down. For example, if I search my own name on google, even
though my accounts are all private, certain images that I DELETED from old
accounts still show up. Not sure why or how this is a thing, but like a lot of
people say, once its online, there is no taking it back. Social media is all
fine and dandy if you use it properly, but sometimes people do not think about
the impact that some things can have on their future. It sort of comes across
as a “it doesn’t matter now”
mentality, and when life changes and your interests and goals change, sometimes
those things you posted from a party 5 years ago when you were in college can
haunt you. Also, sometimes, fake profiles are created so that people can
secretly watch your accounts to see what you are posting. I know this is true
with a local college (they create a fake account to screen applicants). So
people could be spying on you without your knowledge. Here are some tips for using social media
responsibly:
1.
Log the time you spend on social media: Some people do not realize that using social media
for ten minutes or so every couple of hours can seriously add up.
2.
Keep discussions respectful: Behind a computer screen it becomes so easy to let yor
vocabulary become something different than it would be in person. Remember that
just about anyone can see what you are saying (even if your account is private
sometimes) so remember to stay respectful and not to use any potentially
embarrassing/disrespectful vocabulary.
3.
Only add people you know: In a world where many young people are measuring
their own worth based on the likes they receive on social media, it is easy to
feel like you should add a lot of people so you can receive more likes on your
posts, or maybe you are interested in meeting new friends so you just add people
you have mutual friends with. Realistically, it is always safer to only add
people you actually know. There is a term called “catfish” that means that
someone tricks you into believing they are someone they are not online.
Sometimes people are catfishing for various reasons that could be dangerous
and/or life-threatening, but you cannot be catfished if yo only add people you
know in person!
4.
Understand the consequences of your online actions: If you are posting illegal things or exhibiting
behaviors that are not allowed/acceptable, know that you can be punished!
Especially in cases of internet bullying, also known as cyberbullying.
5.
Filter your posts: People should ask themselves the following questions before submitting
any post: is this true? Is it helpful? Is it informational? Is it necessary? Is
it kind? If the post is none of these things, there is probably a chance that
you should not be posting it.
6.
Remember that nothing is private online: People can always save your posts in different ways
without your knowledge (screenshot or in other ways) so even if you think that
there is no way the wrong person will see it, there is. If you would not want
your boss or teacher or grandma to see it, you probably should not post it.
7.
Anonymous isn’t always
anonymous: If you would not
be willing to say it in person or with your name attached, you should not say
it at all. Even if you think something is being posted anonymously, there is
always a way that it can be traced back to whoever posted it.
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