Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets might be more a foe than friend.
Director of career services and student employment, Susan Webb, said the trend is increasing for colleges and businesses to use Facebook as a tool and reference to check before they hire someone.
“Colleges and businesses are now looking at Facebook to check a student’s photos and posts,” she said. “The past behavior of a student on-line can predict the future.”
Though Facebook is public information, privacy settings can be changed so only particular people can see a person’s profile. Facebook’s privacy policy even encourages users to consider their settings when posting information.
Twitter can also be set so a person has to approve another before they can read tweets.
OU field enrollment advisor Clay Fagan, said keeping it professional on social media sites is more important now than ever.
“Sites like Facebook are the first things jobs check at when looking at hiring a student,” Fagan said.
After untagging a drunken photo or deleting a post slamming a professor, it may not be gone forever.
The Facebook privacy policy says, “Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings or it was copied or stored by other users. However, your name will no longer be associated with that information on Facebook.”
Senior sociology and human services major, Colt Coffin said cleaning up a Facebook profile for professional reasons is a part of growing up.
“We all write and post things that maybe we shouldn’t but eventually it clicks that businesses, future employers and professors may see it,” Coffin said. “Society as a whole is becoming more cautious.”
Facebook warns that they are not responsible for what people post and who sees that information.
“Although we allow you to set privacy options that limit access to your information, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We cannot control the actions of other users with whom you share your information. We cannot guarantee that only authorized persons will view your information. We cannot ensure that information you share on Facebook will not become publicly available,” the policy says.
Coffin said he has friends that have cleaned up their profiles to seem more professional tofuture employers or graduate schools. He said the day is coming for him to reevaluate his own profile.
“I plan to clean up my profile within the next year,” Coffin said.
Webb said there is a good rule to consider when posting things of Facebook and Twitter.
“Only post things you would want you mom to see,” she said.
Fagan has advice to students considering graduate school or finding a job.
“Think about what you post. Be responsible and respectful to yourself and other,” Fagan said. “But also be yourself.”