Facebook Etiquette and Safety

by: Priest Jeffrey Blair
Social networking sites are fun ways to keep in touch with friends and meet new people.  However, you should be careful about the information you post because it can sometimes lead to embarrassment, harassment, identity theft, and issues with college/university admission, employment, and even legal investigations. 

Prospective college students, beware: make sure your Facebook profile is suitable for all. According to a Kaplan survey of college/university admissions officers, more than 80% of college admissions officers review social networking sites when considering applicants.

Looking for a job? Note: 45% of employers reported in a recent CareerBuilder survey that they found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire a job candidate. The top examples cited include:

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53%
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44%
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35%
• Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29%
• Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26%
• Candidate lied about qualifications – 24%

Further, social networking services are increasingly being used in legal and criminal investigations. Information posted on sites such as Facebook have been used by police to prosecute suspects and find their accomplices by looking at their friends.  You will be suprised as to how many criminals boast about their crimes on Facebook.  In some situations, content posted on social networks has been used in court to determine an appropriate sentence based on a defendant's attitude.

Moreover, Facebook, the No. 1 social media site by a long shot with more than 500 million accounts, requires users to be at least 13 years old.  But with no practical way to check the ages of that many people, it's widely acknowledged that pre-teens use the site, as well.  With this in mind, be careful about the lifestyle, language, and attitude you promote on Facebook because the children are watching, and learning. 

Think before you post and keep it positive. Imagine if the comment or picture you are about to post will appear in the local newspaper the next day for your parents, aunts, uncles, and younger siblings to see. While that rule of thumb may sound extreme, it is a safe way to manage your content. Remember, on a social media site the audience is unlimited, and the content is permanent. You may post one photo and quickly remove it, but it never really goes away. 
Facebook can be a great tool, but we must be responsible and use it wisely.