Hello everyone! This topic has been bothering me for quite some time and I’ve finally been able to get my thoughts together on how to approach it.
It’s 2016. It’s hard to come by someone not having a Facebook or Twitter account. If you would have told me some of my older family members would be posting on Facebook 10 years ago I’d probably think you’re insane. Now most of them post daily.
Social media can really be a powerful tool. It can increase business sales, help you to stay in touch with old friends, keep all of your pictures in one place and it’s obviously great if you want some spotlight on yourself. It is a fantastic way to keep up-to-date on various issues in the U.S. and around the world. Highlighting certain social issues that were once hidden from the public eye.
Social media has the power to destroy your life and make your privacy unattainable. As someone who’s been doing background checks for many years now social media websites are always on my list to check out. It’s also on many employers lists. The next time you apply for a job you may be asked to provide your passwords so that they can look at what you post.
The moment you hit ‘post’ or upload a picture it is on the internet for virtually forever. Your family, friends, and strangers (depending on what settings you use) can see your content and have it saved as long as they want. There are ways to access this information without being a follower or friend and it’s not difficult to obtain.
So, why is social media your worst enemy? Some key points.
- You can be fired from a job for posting anything negative about your employer. It’s happened many times and will happen many more times. Very successful people in high ranking positions have lost their job for posting something questionable things online.
- Photos have tracking information embedded in them especially if they come from a cell phone: where the picture was taken, what time it was taken and other information.
- Information posted online stays with you, literally forever. This isn’t on a piece of paper or in a private call. Information has been dug up 10 years after it’s posted.
- Employers do social media background checks before they even hire you.
- Are you going through a custody battle or divorce in court? In this day all of the information you post on social media can be used against you and is usually admissible.
- It’s the ultimate stalkers tool. If you post from your work, they now know where you are. If you post from a bar, they can find out your exact location in a matter of seconds.
- Kids get bullied all the time for things they post. Back when I was growing up this didn’t exist and you could only get bullied AT school. Now in the internet era it’s 24/7 thanks to social media.
I still can’t figure out why some people post racist, sexist or otherwise inflammatory remarks. Not only is it wrong, but it serves no purpose and people WILL go to great lengths to make your life a miserable, for a very long time. There are stories about people having to relocate entirely to a new state or country just to stay safe. Death threats are not uncommon. I won’t link examples, but if you’re curious Google the words “people who have ruined their lives on social media”
Social media is great for businesses and organizations, for getting information and for staying up to date with world events. You can do most if not all of this without posting yourself. Through all of this I still recommend going on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. Why? They can be great resources. Just be careful with what you post and ask yourself “Will I ever regret posting this?” if the answer is yes, don’t post it.
Come back every week for a new blog post. I do try and make them as informative as possible. And now the great irony.. please share this if you enjoyed the topic. It’s for a good purpose at least!
– Ryan
