Online is Forever: Practice Social Media Smarts

If you’re under the age of 30, you most likely don’t remember life without home computers. The under 25 crowd probably can’t remember life without smartphones, or at least pocket-sized cell phones. If you’re a young person, you’ve had access to the internet most of your life, which means you have a much different relationship with the online world than your parents do. Your online life is a natural extension of your identity. It’s how you are entertained, how you socialize, how you communicate, and how you project yourself to the world. Social media platforms are integrated into your day-to-day existence, and you probably use them almost subconsciously.

The internet, and specifically social media, is not bad in and of itself. The internet is a tool like any other, and it’s one that most students, educators, and employers are using with great regularity. What that means for you is that it’s vital to remember that people are always watching your online life, have access to your online history, and will judge you based on what you present. With that in mind, it’s important to take stock of your social media habits and personality to make sure that you’re not causing yourself potential problems.

Someone is Always Watching

Unfortunately, you can’t always control your presence on social media. Whether someone is taking a video of you, or your friends and family are posting your image, there’s a chance that you have online data that you didn’t produce. It’s a scary thought, but several young people have lost jobs or college offers because of questionable videos or images that surface. It’s important to keep in mind that someone could potentially be recording you anytime, so conduct yourself in good character. 

Don’t be afraid to be your own public advocate when it comes to online data. Speak to your parents, close family, and friends about asking permission before posting your picture online. You do have a right to privacy, and most people will respect that if you assert yourself. When you see a phone pointed in your direction, ask the person if they are recording and for what purpose. Since you may not be able to stop someone from recording you, your best option is usually to remove yourself from the situation. While you suspect a camera is recording, refrain from language and behavior that you wouldn’t want to see in the next day’s news.

Pay Attention to Your Privacy Settings

Check your social media privacy settings, and pay attention to who can see what you post. Also remember that even if you are posting to only your known contacts, or privately with friends, anyone can take a screenshot of your information and post it elsewhere. You will never be able to fully control the privacy of your words or images if they are online. What’s the solution? Well, if you wouldn’t want it published on the front page of The New York Times, it might be best not to put it online at all.

There’s no rule stating that we must live our entire lives out loud online. It’s perfectly fine to keep most thoughts private, even when we hold a strong opinion about something. Focus on contributing to the greater good and assuming the best intentions of everyone with whom you’re interacting. Using this approach, your online life will be far more palatable to those who will be background checking you in the future.

Know Your Audience - Social Media Platforms

Remember that how you post on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Snapchat is not how you want to convey yourself on LinkedIn. All of the above advice holds for every platform, but LinkedIn is a professional networking platform designed for professional communication. Make sure your writing style, image choices, and demeanor reflect that when using this social media channel.

If you’re worried that your past social media presence may not be a good representation of who you are now, it’s okay! People change and mature over time. Take time now to comb through your past and delete what no longer serves you. This may not erase it forever, but most of us are not dealing with an arch-nemesis who is just waiting for an opportunity to destroy our lives. If you find that you do have some rather offensive collateral from the past, consider documenting how you would address that if it ever were to be found. Do you need to reach out to anyone you offended in the past and make amends? It may not be necessary, but it is worthwhile to check in with yourself from time to time to make sure that who you are is really who you want to be.

If you’re trying to get your professional and public life in shape for a career launch or change, contact me for a complimentary strategy session. We can talk about anything in your social media past that worries you and strategize how to overcome it.