In 2012 , the name Joseph Kony spread like wildfire, largely due to social media. Used thoughtfully, social media can have a positive impact; that is not always the case.
Today, adults, college, high school and middle school students alike post things damning themselves in virtual social circles. Some don’t understand the true weight of their words and pictures in the virtual world.
More and more middle school teachers have approached the issue by having students post a picture of themselves holding a sign and asking for the photo to be shared.
The hope is to make students aware of how quickly content is circulated, and the number of people who can see posts.
“People nowadays don’t understand repercussions of their actions until it’s too late,” said Jacob Fulgham, Computer Network Security and Administration major.
These posters fail to realize that viewers seeing things out of context, such as emotional posting, could have an impact on current and future romantic and employment relationships.
Companies are now in the practice of searching for potential employees’ online profiles during the hiring process to get a feel for who they are, especially when a position requires a security clearance.
Airing out dirty laundry on social media opens the door for anyone and everyone to have access to that information.
“Even with privacy settings on, that information is on a server someplace and your data is only as secure as the server it sits on,” said Scott Hudson, L&C assistant professor of technology.
Hudson summed it up best – “Social media tools can be positive and powerful. People should be educated – not scared, but educated.”
athenawhitty@yahoo.com