In today’s day and age, it seems as if everyone is connected on the ever popular social network, Facebook. Everyone has access to the private details of others’ personal lives via their online profiles. While Facebook has many pros, (helping us to keep in touch, communicate, etc) it can have negative effects in the long run. Many young people and even adults do not realize that once something is posted on Facebook or the Internet, it can never be permanently deleted. Sure you can hit remove and you won’t see it on your profile but once something has been sent to the Internet, a record of it will always exist.
High school students need to keep in mind that the image presented online can affect future plans. Colleges and future employers have easy access to students’ online profiles. Despite being qualified for a job, a person may lose out because their Facebook page paints them in an unflattering light. As the college application process becomes harder, students need to maintain their internet image. Previously, students simply had to worry about how they presented themselves on paper to the college admissions departments. It was all about joining the right extra-curricular activities and getting good grades and test scores. Now with the added dimension of social networking, students need to worry about presenting themselves on the internet. College admissions departments check Facebook profiles in order to see not only how students perform academically, but also how students conduct themselves outside of the classroom. Students do not realize that a single photo posted to Facebook can negatively affect the course of their future. In many instances students have lost scholarships over an inappropriate photo posted on Facebook. A single image that can be misunderstood or misconstrued can cause a student to lose or miss out on big opportunities. Clarence Pederson, director of the Career Development Center at South Dakota University, compares posting a photo on Facebook to a photo on your desk at work, “If you wouldn’t put that picture on your desk at work, then you probably shouldn’t have it on your Facebook.”
I am not suggesting that students should not use Facebook or other social networking sites. I simply recommend that students are more careful with the image they present on the internet. Padua’s students should be careful about what they post on their own page or the photos they allow others to post of them. Facebook is a useful tool when used in the proper manner. Students should try to present the best image of themselves on Facebook and other social networking sites because it does have an impact on your future.
