Be weary of what you put on social media

By Erin Leach |Staff Writer|

In a single day there are over half a billion tweets and five million images uploaded to Instagram.

Everyone has heard the common idea that once you post it, it permanently lives on the Internet.

This is true, and sadly students don’t realize the implications of what they might be posting.

Pictures or tweets about alcohol, weed, and the college life are normal everyday occurrences.

However, it becomes a dangerous thing when you sit back to think that a large portion of the people you follow, or connect with, on social media don’t know the person you are.

A majority of the people we connect with on social media don’t interact with us on a daily basis.

Therefore their impression of you is going to be created and accessed by what you put out on profiles and pages.

You create a public persona which may not be who you really are.

Students may be under the impression that what they post has no bearing on their future, but when it comes to the professional arena they couldn’t be more mistaken.

According to a study done by careerbuilders.com, about 37 percent of employers use social media outlets to screen potential employees before their hired.

When asking students if they post pictures using alcohol, student Amanda Sanchez says “I’m 21 so I really don’t think it matters. I don’t have anything to hide.”

While others tell a different story.

Student Devin Sole said, “I don’t drink often, but when I do I don’t like to post about it. I just think it makes me look like an alcoholic or something.”

Sanchez also shared her story of being caught in a lie on Facebook by her boss.

“Well, I told my boss I couldn’t come in, but then she saw on my Facebook that I was actually doing something with my sorority. They confronted me about it.”

I think there needs to be a realization that the things students post DO matter.

We are all guilty of obsessing over what old friends are up to and wanting to update them about our lives. We want them to know about our successes, fun weekends, and our new romances.

However, I think this can be achieved without posting pictures of your friends throwing up or passed out on a fraternity couch.

If we are so obsessed with what others think, then why would you want your old high school buddies to think you’re a drunk. This will only bring negative attention.

Not to mention the jobs you’ll get turned away from and the numerous interviews you won’t get.

Student Daniel Chavez said, “I don’t post pictures with alcohol because I don’t want people to judge me or my family members to look at me differently.”

Chavez’s outlook is something that students should emulate if they hope to get ahead in the future.
The fact of the matter is people will judge you based on what you let them see.

Your Facebook profile will never be a full reflection of who you are, so think long and hard before you post that status, or picture, because it may effect your eminent future.