Sunday, April 17, 2016

Privacy vs Socialization

I can just hear my mother's voice in my head right now...."You better not post that to Facebook" ..... "Don't share that on social media" ...... Yes, I know mother, is always my response.

Growing up, we were all told to never put anything on the Internet that we would not want everyone to see. However, in today's society people are not as concerned with what they post and/or upload because they believe privacy settings will only allow their "friends" to see everything. I truly believe this gives people a false sense of security. There are so many ways around privacy settings and it only takes one friend to "share" something in order for it to be out there for the entire world to see.

I understand that the point of social media is to constantly stay connected and share what's inside your mind, but there are many things that should not be publicly shared. Especially since potential employers, schools, etc. can easily access profiles.

As Lori Andrews states in her book I Know Who You Are and I Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy, she believes there should be a Social Network Constitution to protect our rights online. I understand where she is coming from and what her concerns are, but I somewhat disagree. I do believe that there are things people post that should not be a criteria for judgment upon potential employment. However, I also think it is the responsibility of the individual to filter what gets put on their own social media pages. Especially when the individual knows potential employers could be looking.

Just remember, nothing you ever do is truly private...... big brother (or someone else) is always watching.......

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