The Right Way to Use the Internet

Being online and on all different social media websites can be fun at times, showing everyone where you are and what you are doing, posting pictures and sharing memories, everything we post is to either make ourselves look better or to show everyone what we are and what we are doing.

Make sure that your digital footprint is somewhat that you want everyone and anyone to see.

In other words, social media can harm you and your job. Before getting hired, a background check is usually done on you by the person that is looking to hire you. They look for inappropriate post, discriminatory behavior through post and comments, the proof of drug or alcohol use. They also look at how well you put together your resume. No lying, or making things up, always have proof to back up your information. Having poor communication and writing skills as well can lead to you not being fit for the job. You want to make sure that your social media presence is something that you are proud of, and if you have a second thought on posting something, than It probably should not be posted in the first place. These 6 situations were taken from the article "6 Situations when social media can cause you harm in your job search". 

You don't need to post everything you do online, Identity theft can come into play with over sharing. Thinking twice about what you share on social media can save you pretty much your life. Make sure that your privacy settings are all secure on all of your social media accounts, and keep your passwords strong. Don't use family names or pet names, mix in uppercase and lowercase characters and numbers and symbols as well. Keeping the internet updates on where you are and where you are going is also giving people the knowledge that you aren't going to be somewhere and gives access to stuff that you own due to them knowing you are not going to be around or knowing that you are some place and not in another. Cyberbullying as well can be a big cause of using social media. An article stated, "A 2012 report found that 81 percent of teens use social media, and about a quarter of all adolescents experience cyber bulling".

The article "What Recruiters Look at When Stalking your Social Media", this is what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for when they look into your social media accounts:
          Facebook: ("about me" section and photo album), they look into how you portray yourself to the world. What you say about yourself and if It matches the resume that you submitted to them. Also looking at the photos and descriptions, comments that were said. Making sure that you aren't posting post that include sexual, drug references and no profanity.
          Twitter: (tweets), seeing what you tweet, share, and like. You want to make sure that everything being posted is something that you don't mine having your boss see and not have to explain yourself for in the future.
          Instagram: (followers, pictures), seeing what kind of followers your instagram attracts is something that they will look at. How you portray yourself with your followers as well. Also looking at how you represent yourself with the pictures that you post and share with the world.

                This short video shows how you should think before you post in a fun and cool way!

In one of my classes, we talked about how social media can make or break your chance of getting jobs. We searched our selves on google to give an insight of what someone might see if they go to look at our digital footprint, in example that it gets searched during an interview. We also talked about the pros and cons of a few different social media websites, such as Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. Each giving positive impacts on our lives but also causing some problems as well.

"LOL...OMG!" written by Matt Ivester, has a chapter that talks about becoming a conscious creator of content. To sum it all up, it is giving you the checklist that you need to go through to make sure that what you are posting is worthy of posting. Making sure that their is a fine line between what the public needs to know and see and what should be kept to yourself. Making sure that the timing of what you posting is accurate. Like I said earlier, you don't want to post that you are leaving for vacation tomorrow because that is giving everyone the knowledge that you aren't going to be home and gives access to everyone knowing that you are going to have an empty house. The question of "am I only posting this or saying this because I am drunk" message that is running through your head should give you the insight on maybe you shouldn't be posting on social media at this time. Knowing that what you post is going to be seen by the world should give you the thoughts on the yes or no answer to "should I post this".

On the bright side, social media can be a great way to make you stand out above others. You just want to make sure that everything you are posting is mature. Social media can make or break your future, so make It count and post smart.