In 2018, the world has become consumed by technology, text messages and social networking sites. From iPhones to Twitter and Instagram, knowledge is accessible with the simple click of a button. While technology has enhanced our lives and advanced science and research, it is important to understand that it does come with complications. With everything on the internet, we leave ourselves susceptible to judgment by strangers as we present our lives for the world to see. Quotes such as, “If it’s not on Snapchat did it really happen?” explain how engulfed our lives are by these sites. Although social media connects family, friends, strangers, companies, and provides a safe place to share thoughts and photos, social networking sites can contribute to complications when finding a job. Remember to always use social media wisely and think before you post.
Keep posts clear and concise
It can be difficult to understand a person’s tone of voice on the phone and especially difficult to understand them through a text message or social media post. Beth Yohe states, “You don’t see the impact of what you write,” in Lauren Tarshis’s essay “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” This piece, published in the Scholastic magazine, was written to stress the importance of being careful when writing comments and statuses on the internet because anything written can be misinterpreted by the recipient. Make sure before you post a selfie or create a thread on Twitter that you are not only confident in what you are posting, but that you are okay with potential managers or executives seeing it.
Avoid TMI
“I guess one man’s TMI is another man’s treasure,” says Josh Rose in his article, “How Social Media Is Having a Positive Impact on Our Culture.” Its amazing to have multiple platforms to express ourselves but we must understand that we are now creating a self brand. Whatever is posted on social media now becomes a part of our brand and directly reflects who we are as individuals. We must be smart in our branding and think carefully before we post. Avoid oversharing or ranting on social media.
In this social media driven society where people are so preoccupied with the glamour and the comfort of obtaining everything from the internet, there is hardly any thought given to the future and who will view our page within the next year or two. While there might be strong arguments that present a case that people with strong minds should not be influenced by social media, it is undeniable that social media matters. With that being said, if it is used sensibly, it is the most well-expressed form of communication that can link family, friends and future employers with the touch of a button.
This blog post was written by Account Associate Jasmin Senior.
prowlpr.com 