How to Protect Yourself From Social Media

Social media sites are cause for concern when it comes to a young adults future in academics and when beginning their career.

They can affect them negatively.

"30% of admissions officers said they had discovered information online that had negatively affected an applicant's prospects."
(Singer, Nov. 10 2013)

"75% of U.S. recruiters and human-resource professionals report that their companies require them to do online research about candidates"
(Rosen 2010)

There have been cases where students have been denied graduation due to social media posts.
(Rosen 2010).

As well as people losing their jobs.

• “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!”
• “You’re the No. 1 worldwide trend on Twitter right now.”
• “We are about to watch this @JustineSacco b**** get fired. In REAL time. Before she even KNOWS she’s getting fired.” (Ronson 2015)

However, you can also use social media to your advantage!

You cannot simply eliminate social media from your life, you need a presence online; keep it professional.
(Backaitis 2016)

"Rather than restrict their online engagement during the admissions process, some students are beefing up their social media activities in an effort to distinguish themselves in an ocean of college hopefuls." (Singer Nov. 11 2013)

“LinkedIn is the No. 1 source of recruiting”
(Bowness 2013)

Here are some

#1 Polish Your Profile

• Fully complete your profile on each platform
• Use a professional (looking) headshot (Bowness 2013)

#2 Be Consistent

• Make sure your information is consistent across all platforms (Bowness 2013)

#3 Spell Out Your Goals

• Make sure the job title you want is in your profile (Bowness 2013)

#4 Prepare for Interviews

• Use social media to look up the company and the people who will be interviewing you. (Bowness 2013)

#5 Use the 'Mother Test'

• If you wouldn't want your mother to see it don't post it, or take it down. (Bowness 2013)

Look up the Privacy Policies

Instagram:
put your account to private.
(2016 Instagram Inc.)

Snapchat:
your photos are not deleted but stored in a database.
(Mchugn 2015)

Twitter:
delete inapproprate tweets, change your account to private.
(2016 Twitter Inc.)

Facebook:
delete inappropriate posts, privatize your account.
(2016 Facebook Inc.)

Overall, protect yourself, delete inappropriate posts and privatize your accounts. However, do not be afraid to use social media to your advantage.

Sources

• About public and protected Tweets. (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2016, from https://support.twitter.com/articles/14016
• Backaitis, Virginia. “Having a professional Presence Online is Crucial.” New York Post
• Bowness, Suzanne. “Five Ways to be a Smart Social Media User in Your Job Hunt.” The Globe and Mail 11 Jan. 2013.
• Facebook Privacy Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2016, from https://www.facebook.com/about/basics/
• Instagram Help Center. (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2016, from https://help.instagram.com/155833707900388/?ref=hc_fnav
• Mchugh, Molly. “ No, Snapchat isn’t Going to Use Your Private Pictures.” Wired 02 Nov. 2015.
• Rosen, Jeffery. “The Web Means the End of Forgetting.” The New York Times 21 July 2010.
• Ronson, Jon. “How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life.” The New York Times 12 Feb. 2015.
• Singer, Natasha. “In College Admissions, Social Media Can Be a Double-Edged Sword.” The New York Times 11 Nov. 2013.
• Singer, Natasha. "They loved your G.P.A. then they saw your tweets." New York Times 10 Nov. 2013.
• All pictures acquired through Haiku Deck; creative commons database.