The anonymity of the internet has been both a blessing and a curse for its users. Whatever parts of your true identity that you choose can be displayed while the parts you don’t choose can be ignored or made up. This can be exhilarating to some, but at the same time, it leaves you wondering who to trust.
Another issue is with websites where you think all of your information is private such as Facebook or MySpace. Many people, often students, post pictures and other information that is often inappropriate. This has led to trouble with employers and colleges. There have been many cases where applicants do not get the jobs they hope for or college students lose scholarships or even their invitation to attend the school because of pictures they post.
It all comes down to taking the time to read privacy policies and being knowledgeable to what you post on the internet. You have to be literate about who you are talking to and how you’re being portrayed because you really never know who is reading.
Many new forms of “modern” communication are sweeping and staying in the hands of people, day and night. But when is it too much? Various forms of social networking, such as Facebook, Twitter, and text messages, as well as all other types, are becoming more and more popular because of their convenience, speed, and simplicity. Individuals are able to stay in contact more and more with people across the country, old friends, strangers with common interests, and possibly strangers with foul intent in mind. There are probably plenty of good, solid arguments that detail the value of having these social networks at our fingertips. But, as the cell phone and computer become permanently linked to our ears and firmly attached to our hands, how do we know when too much information is simply too much? With constant updates, live photos and video feeds, a person’s history is more at stake than ever before. No longer does the individual have their own identity, but instead, they have the constraints of the people that they come in contact with. Unflattering pictures, comments, and continued conversations persist in shaping the perspectives and portrayed views of a person. Nowadays, individuals with an online social networking account can not only express themselves, but they have to constantly monitor all their friends that may (or may not) post information that the individual does not want to share with the general populous. Friends can post embarrassing pictures, make hideous comments, post live arguments back and forth, or even send pictures, comments, and/or use language that can be found as inappropriate by a wide range of prospective job opportunities, other friends, and even the individual him/herself. So when does all this new age conversation count as a form of expression or as an invasion of privacy? The social rules, when individuals are out with friends, still apply when there is an ongoing conversation over the computer—mind your manners. Otherwise, this form of quick paced-updated literacy can be very dangerous. Be careful what you do, who you’re with, and the friends you make; after all, they have the potential to know you beyond your wildest dreams and show it to the world. The question is: Is it really you?
The video below discusses five “rules” that should govern the way that information through social networking should be presented; the example used is Facebook, but this in no way expresses the negative views and behaviors of the actual website and/or any of it’s members.
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