The New Exponent

By Gray Wattenbarger
Staff Writer

In January of 2004, Tom Anderson launched the extremely popular Myspace.com, one of the very first social networking sites to gain mass appeal to both the young, old, and young at heart. Following the launch of Myspace was the development and launch of Facebook, developed by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg as a hobby. Now, Facebook is one of the most popular social sites online.

Facebook, Myspace, Xanga, Twitter, Friendster, and many more social networking sites gain even more popularity as days pass; but, is it really furthering friendships or exposing the hidden side of the users? Log in to any social networking sites and you will usually see something that tells you how to keep safe while using the social networking site. Will the safety sheet really keep you safe? Will it really help you further your career? Most likely, no, it won’t help your career. Users’ every day are becoming victims of internet predators. What are things we, the users of such social sites, can do to protect ourselves, our images, and how people view us as individuals?

When developing the context behind this article I posed a couple of questions to several successful people within the business world. Most were from TWC, but some weren’t. Their insight to the social networking sites gave great ‘unlisted rules’ for the do’s and don’ts of using social networking sites and how to keep our personal images clean.

Dean Scott Mashburn, Vice-President for Student Life at TWC, declared that Facebook was neither a good thing nor a bad thing, but that it is what it is- a social networking site. Although Mashburn has never really utilized Myspace or Twitter, he does have a Facebook account which he uses on a regular basis. The utilization of Facebook is for connection purposes. Mashburn stays connected with past and present students from TWC, past classmates, fellow colleagues, and family.

As a TWC student, I did pose one important question to him that I was very curious about- If he, or any other school official, see anything that breaks the rules of TWC in photos from around campus, could students get in trouble from the photos posted online? The answer- Yes. Although Mashburn did state that this is a very rare case, it can happen. So what can you do to avoid getting into trouble with questionable photos? Don’t post them. “A good question to ask yourself is if Grandma or Grandpa would approve of what you’re posting online,” he said. Quite frankly, that is a good rule of thumb to remember, no matter what you do.

One of the newest additions to TWC’s staff is Thema Nicholson, Director of Career Development. I felt it was important to question Nicholson because of the fact that she helps students of TWC to find jobs and develop resumes. One of the most important questions posed to her was if job recruiters searched online for social networking sites of job candidates. “Yes. Many recruiters do view profiles and photos on social networking sites. It is estimated that 50% of employers screen candidates via online technology…” stated Nicholson.

There are many things we can do to review our online activity and see what is and isn’t appropriate to have online. Nicholson provided a list of steps which we could take to do to make sure our profile is acceptable and what isn’t. 1. Immediately restrict who can and who can’t see your profile. 2. Google your name and see what comes up. Is your email address professional? How does your profile, tagged photos, wall posts, etc. portray you? 3. Remove any pictures or comments from friends or yourself that suggest indecent behavior. If you don’t want your personal life revealed to your parents, spouse, or church, then it probably shouldn’t be included in your profile. 4. Don’t upload or post anything that may be inappropriate. Information on your profile can be made available to anyone with internet access.

Despite the fact that social networking sites can be inappropriately used, they can also be used for decent and helpful purposes, too. Angie Watts, Assistant Dean of Students at TWC, operates the Facebook page for the Student Activities Board at TWC. Watts said that there were many positives to using social networking sites, such as the fact that “Social networking sites can be very helpful in the promotion of the school or organization as a whole.” However, there is always a negative, saying, “The downside is that we tend to rely on Facebook a little too much. I have seen Student Organizations plan events and only advertise it on Facebook, thinking that everyone will see it and that is not always the case.” Always keep in mind that life online may be connected to actual reality, but nothing is more important than human contact.

Finally, I spoke with Stacie Werfel, Human Resources Executive Team Leader at Target in Chattanooga (T-1302). I felt it was necessary to speak with someone in the Human Resources field to get their take on the issue. Werfel, like Nicholson, noted that Facebook and other social networking sites were useful for business recruiters because they can help to promote job listings. As an interviewer during the hiring process at Target, she had an interesting insight on what to post on profiles and what not to post, stating that “If a question came up about something on your profile, would you be embarrassed in an interview?” Although Target does not directly review social networking profiles, she did say that for upper-level management positions, they do view your profiles online, once again making it imperative that profiles stay modest and appropriate.

Social profiles can be used for good or bad, and just about anyone can create one. How to portray yourself and the image you project to others about yourself is up to you, but just keep in mind that whatever is posted online will always be out there somewhere. Be smart, be sensible, and use caution when posting a status update or uploading photos. Is that something you would want your parents, preacher, grandparents, or even your kids to see?
 
References:

http://www.myspace.com/pressroom?url=/fact+sheet/

http://mashable.com/2006/08/25/facebook-profile/