Social Media and How It Effects Us

I don't remember a time when I didn't use some sort of social media. I remember when I got my first computer and was using the internet Xanga was the big thing to use. Everyone blogged about the details of their day, and posted different icons that they liked. You also had to have the right layout. Then things moved on and as Xanga faded MySpace came into play. I vaguely remember using both of these, even though it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago. The thing I remember the most about MySpace was surveys. All of them were pretty much the same with different wording. I did quite a few of them and posted them to the bulletin. Now Facebook has nearly phased out all of these. It is not a very common thing for someone my age to not use Facebook. It has grown as far as mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma are all involved. Through all of these sites we have posted potentially too much information about our day to day lives and personal information that most people shouldn't know about us. On my Facebook page, there is really more information than what most people need to know like where I work, where I go to school, where I live, and my birthday. I might as well put my social security number on there and call it a day. Why do we share so much information with people who are complete strangers? What makes it so appealing? How much is too much? Do sites like Facebook keep our information safe or who is it shared with? How many of your "friends" do you actually know?

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Social media sites are very useful whether it is for keeping up with what is going on in the world or reconnecting with old friends and staying connected. However, with every good thing there is bad. To the right there is several sets of data showing what type of information these sites are asking for. This data shows that a lot of this information shared can lead to identity theft, physical harm, imperfect reputation, and many other things. The only thing short of a criminal being able to steal your identity is providing them with a social security number. They have your name, your birthday, where you live, what your phone number is, where you work, and so on and so forth. You can also put yourself in some serious physical harm. Nearly everyone takes a vacation at some point during the year. It seems like everyone is remotely fond of sharing their experience with family and friends. However, if you post on Facebook and tell the world that you are going out of town, everyone knows where you are, and that you are not home. Your home could be robbed. Even worse, someone could find you are do some physical and emotional damage to you. Say you went to an awesome party tonight and drank a little too much and posted those pictures. A month later you have a interview for the job of your dreams and their is only one other candidate. The interview went great, and you are very hopeful. Now the interviewer researches you a little bit and sees all of these pictures. The other person has a clean slate, nothing stupid posted all over Facebook and Twitter. Who would you hire? Your reputation is shot, and said job is lost. Many times that not we do not think about these type of things. We are to trusting with who we are sharing our information with on the internet.

Our relationships also take a pretty big hit to social media. You have to make your relationships "Facebook official." How many relationships come to a demise due to social media? As you can see, to the right, you may not want to broadcast that you could possibly have herpes, just saying. But why do we put the people who we care about, or anyone in general on blast on Facebook? Social media can bring the world together and do many great things. With everything good, there comes bad. Facebook creates the monster known as jealousy on an extreme level. With questions that have assumed answers can create a lot of unwanted issues, known as the end of your relationship. Granted that his isn't Facebook's fault. It is just another example of why you shouldn't post every detail of your day and life. It isn't only romantic relationships either. They can affect your friends and work relationships as well. I saw a picture on Facebook where a girl had forgotten she added her boss. Needless to say she posted this big spill about how she hated her boss and thought he was perverted and arrogant. Also that he made her do stuff just to piss her off. He commented back telling her not to flatter herself, that he was gay. Also that those tasks were her job, and even the simplest she couldn't do right. Then proceeded with telling her to come get her remaining belongings from the office. While that may of not been the most professional way to handle things, she ruined a work relationship and lost her job.

Not all Facebook relationships can be ruined. There are also many positives like keeping up with your college roommate, a family member who lives far away, and for other things. We just have to take care of what we post. Also learn that assuming makes an ass out of you and me.

Social media can be the best of tools to utilize, but also the worst. I think I have made that somewhat redundant. Regardless, if we watch what we post. We shouldn't give out so much information that could harm our futures. A job is an essential part of life. You have to work to have the things that we want and be able to live. If you go out and do stupid stuff and post it on Facebook you are going to look like an unacceptable contribution to society, therefore no jobs. Also protect yourself by not posting important information about your personal life. Vacation pictures can wait until you get home to be uploaded. Don't cause yourself more problems then you already have!