Social Networks

Social Networks

Just about everyone is familiar with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, Tumblr and others famous social networks that keep you connected with co-workers, friends, and family.While social networks can make your life fun and entertaining, not everything about these social networks are always fun and games. It is important to be smart about the information that you make public to others. While social networks are primarily used to stay connected with others, it can also be detrimental to your likelihood. Many schools use these familiar networks to attract students or even to profile its prospective students. Watching what you allow others to see now can possibly prevent future academic, social, or career problems.

At this day and age, the computer is one of the main forms of communication, but there are certain things about your personal lifea that should not be viral to the rest of the world. Facebook and Twitter are famous for showing others how “hard you can party” with your friends, what vacation you went on last week, or even what you are thinking at that exact moment; and even while there are privacy settings to limit who can see your profile, information always has its way of finding itself in the wrong hands.

There is nothing wrong with showing others how much of a great time you are having in college, but if you find yourself in compromising situations where illicit material may become available to others, it is smart to not even place yourself in that situation. There are many individuals who go on to graduate school, but may not get a certain job, internship, or even a spot on a sports team as a result of their Facebook or Twitter images/statuses. Underage drinking is a primary target for undergraduate incrimination. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling in Social Networking and College Admission, “police busted an underage drinking party at George Washington University after they found invitations online (Greenfield 2006).” You’re not only broadcasting your plans with your friends but your plans with the entire internet community.

The best way to prevent or at least minimize such mishaps would be to privatize your page so that only your personal friends have access to your page. With this power, you are able to control who has access to your page. At the same time, make sure to take down or “untag” yourself in any material that may be deemed “inappropriate”. The more you do to protect yourself from incriminating material, the less likely you will be to suffer the negative consequences from social networks.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/steps/Articles/Pages/MySpace.aspx