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A teenager's alarm clock goes off in the wee hours of the morning. She stretches and yawns as she gets up from her slumber. You would think she would go straight to the bathroom to take a shower or brush her teeth. Nope. She picks up her iPhone 3GS phone from the nightstand and checks her latest Facebook updates. Forty-five minutes has passed. She is almost ready to go to school, but before she jets out the house, she takes one last picture. This has become her morning ritual. She strikes a scandalous pose. She bears her flat bottom or cleavage, but she is a hipster and must creatively channel her Twilight, teenage appeal in front of her iPhone and onto her Facebook profile. Did I mention that she is looking for a summer job?
Facebook has come under fire lately for its new Facebook privacy changes, changes that I cannot fathom at this moment because 1.) I use Facebook daily and could be possibly deceived by Facebook's antics. 2.) I see both sides of this net neutrality/privacy controversy. I use Facebook to post blog posts, pictures, and comments, but I make sure that my actions are appropriate for everyone and don't undermine or jeopardize me from obtaining a future job or network opportunity.
Critics do not want their digital footprints to be publicized and used by Facebook or other affiliated Facebook companies. Others continue to create new accounts every day and are continuing to share their information with friends, family, and their other Facebook networks. My question is to not to ask you whether or not Facebook is a capitalist enterprise, set to monetize on your personal information. We all should know that answer.
My question to you out there using Facebook is why in the world would many of you post raunchy photos and comments about your boss when you know that Facebook and everyone with a Facebook account could read them? You as the consumer is responsible for what you say on the Internet. You do not have to use social media. You do not have to log in every second to see your friend's status change from married to single. You can delete your Facebook right now at this very moment. You can try to live a life without social media and the personalization of data. But do not blame Facebook for your inconsiderate behavior and the amount of information you reveal. That was a conscious choice.You are responsible for your online presence and reputation.
Remember the teenager I mentioned earlier? She did not get any job interviews greatly because recruiters and hiring managers googled her horrible Facebook profile and declined to interview her. Do you want to end up as her? I have two great resources for you to check out:
- If you want to take the first steps to learning how to construct a good Facebook profile on your own terms, read this article here.
- Also, Jim Hopkinson from the Hopkinson Report draws some great insight on how Facebook, with all the criticism it has been getting in the last several months, might become the next social fad.
What do you think about Facebook and its privacy platform? Will you delete your Facebook profile? Are there any alternative social media sites (not talking about Twitter or Linkedin) that offer readers with more privacy options than Facebook?
