Social Media: A Lack of Privacy

Social media is without a doubt the addictive of the 21st century. People of all ages participate in the online phenomenon, spanning from Facebook to Instagram to Tumblr and every website in between. While most people use these sites without a second thought, there is one thing that should be on every user's mind: privacy. Or...a lack thereof. The following are a few points highlight common user errors that are a result of a lack of knowledge in terms of how much privacy social media holds.

       1) People forget that once they post on social media, it stays on the World Wide Web forever.

There is no backspace to the Internet. Even when something appears to be off of your computer screen or no longer on your Facebook wall, it is still out there. Someone may have taken a screenshot and saved it on their computer. Someone may have saved the IP address. Even if you did manage to take down the information, it is still floating around in the unknown world of the WWW, something that very few people tend to remember. Someone out there can still access that deleted information, even if the original post appears to have been deleted. In addition to this, people often agree to have their information shared or their name used without even knowing it. The following is an example of the fine print of Facebook, something that most people do not even think twice about reading: 

This is just one example of how the inforamtion you share is not entirely yours, and you often do not have control over who sees it or uses it once it is posted. 

       2) People do not think long term about the impact of their social media posts.

I'll be the first to say, I have posted some questionable things on social media. Whether it was a strong opinion or a picture that made it look like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, most people tend to have some regrets about their social media posts. One example is posting a picture where you appear to be intoxicated on social media. Let's say you are a 20 year old girl having fun at party, drinking lemonade out of a red cup and someone snaps a photo and posts it on Facebook. Even though you weren't drinking under age, it may appear that way. Many company search Facebook and other social media sites when looking for new hires. If they see that you were "drunk" underage, they may be less likely to hire you. In any case, most people post thinking only about the present, when social media has a great impact on your future.

       3) People post before they think.

This goes along with the last point, but continues to deeper meaning. Many people will post their thoughts or pictures to appear "cool" or make themselves a part of conversation. People want to post anything and everything that they are doing, searching for self-reassurance through likes or comments on social media. By doing this, many poeple sometimes post information or pictures that should be kept private, not thinking about the consequences of the post. If people are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they may post something that they would not normally post. Bad news- once it's out there, it is out there for good.