I have been a social network user for quite some time and since the inception of the idea for this article I have been doing research. The research included going to complete strangers profiles on myspace, facebook and many other social networks to see what their statuses were. You can not believe how people post their every thought in their status.
Take it from others who have gotten fired from their jobs for their status, you should not post everything on facebook or any other social network! If you want to tell your friends that you hate your job, you should send them an e-mail or tell them in person since an e-mail can be printed and used against you too.
This waitress got fired for posting her facebook status about work.
This young lady got fired because she said her job was boring and she did not even mention the company name.
Take a look at the teacher that was fired for her facebook pictures.
You can see by the three stories listed above that putting everything that you think in your status on facebook or any other social network is a good thing to do and you even have to be careful what pictures you choose to post.
Making your profile private isn’t really going to help you since you probably have people who work with you on your friends list or maybe one of your friends will get mad at you and show someone what is on your page. Remember that anyone can make a screen shot, take a picture with their cell phone or simply show someone else your page.
Have you ever gotten mad at someone in your family and posted something that you shouldn’t as your status? Maybe something about that family member? How long did it take you to live that one down? I am thinking that starting a family feud over your status was not worth it!
Things that you do online can be used against you in criminal cases. Something as simple as the pictures that you post or what you don’t post in your status can be used against you.
Kids, these consequences do not exclude you! A young man in Nashville, Tennessee was upset at his coaches and what he said on his facebook status got him expelled from school.
The examples that I have used above are not the only ones. In doing a google search, I found so many references to social network statuses being used against people that I can not possibly include them all in this article.
Simply put, if you do not want the world to know what you are posting as your status, don’t post it. If you don’t want the world to know that you drink on the weekends, don’t post a picture of it. If you don’t want the world to see you half naked, do not post a picture of it.
Remember, if you post it, someone can and will find it!
Sources
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20005894-501465.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10172931-71.html
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/21586641/detail.html
http://www.paamtrafficsafety.com/www/newsletters/Green_Light_News_October_2007.pdf
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107020306
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=74202
personal opinion
