Think First

Random Myspace checks were a norm in the Smith household. At any time our parents would look through our homepage, notes, top friends, and friends’ profiles. If you didn’t want Mom and Dad to see something, you didn’t post it. This was a valuable learning lesson for my brother and me.

Our Internet Marketing class is supposed to start posting about subjects related to class. However, something I feel the need to discuss pertains to everyone. Whether you’re posting on a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram or Myspace (but let’s face it, no one uses Myspace still, right?), you have to keep it classy. I know, I know you’ve already been told this by Mom, Dad, and various professors. My question though, is why do some people blatantly not follow this?

My Facebook and Instagram “friends” upload pictures of them and/or alcohol on a regular basis. At least crop out the bottle people, and don’t post the shot glasses on Instagram.  People on Twitter like to run their mouths; is it that difficult to not post about sex and drugs or use vulgarity 24/7? I understand that there is freedom of speech in America, and that people can post whatever they please, but saying the F-word doesn’t make your point stronger. Besides that, once something is posted, it is out there forever. The government saves all tweets in a database and Facebook owns all your photos to use as they please. 

I am friends with my parents, boyfriend’s parents, and bosses on all of my social media sites. You don’t have to accept these people, but it looks bad when you don’t. As a rule of thumb, when you are friends with these people, you do not swear, post ANYTHING about work, or basically do or say anything that you would not do or say to your grandmother. I’ve seen people learn this lesson the hard way on more than one occasion. Companies find you on the Internet and look through your stuff. Even if your sites are private they can find some sort of information. They won’t hire you if you don’t present yourself in a professional manor. Even after you’re hired, you can get fired for posts.

Am I saying that I’ve never posted something questionable? No, but as we are maturing and coming upon graduation, we are going to be looking for grown-up jobs, and those people that are going to hire us don’t want to hire someone that is going to be more focused on their social life than work, or someone who will potentially call off after a night of partying.  

What do you guys think? Do you think employers really care what you do outside of work? Do you think it is alright to post whatever you feel as long as your account is private?

*All of these pictures are made up and are supposed to describe things I see on the Internet on a regular basis. I do not mean to offend anyone with these photos and I am not talking about anyone in particular*