While searching for articles about items in the news lately relating to the effect technology has on our society, I came across one about Myspace by: Helen A. S. Popkin posted on MSNBC News. The article was titled “Friends don’t let friends join MySpace, Posting on networking sites is like a tattoo – only worse.” The article focuses on a woman who was denied a teaching degree because of a picture she had posted on her MySpace page. The woman, Stacey Snyder had a picture from a Halloween party with a drink in her hand. The picture was said to be unprofessional and potentially offensive. She is now suing for “her rightfully-earned diploma and teaching certificate, as well as $75,000 for damages.”
This article uses an interesting an analogy when referring to how it is almost impossible to take back things you once may have posted on MySpace. They say that it is like a tattoo you get that you regret, but a tattoo you can get erased with skin grafts. The things you do on MySpace never go away, Popin says, “For the rest of your natural life, they remain just a few clicks away, waiting to be discovered, misinterpreted, and abused.”
I agree with Popkin’s opinions, what she said is very true. People are not careful with what they are posting on their MySpace pages. People have these one on one conversation’s with people via their comment pages and it seems like they don’t realize that it’s a public social networking site and that anyone can see these conversations. What happened with Stacey Snyder could happen to anyone. A lot of people miss out on job opportunities because of some of the pictures that they have posted on their Facebook or MySpace pages. Employers are now using these social networking sites as additional resources when deciding whether or not to hire the potential candidates. I do have a MySpace, and I feel that it is very important to be careful of what I post on there whether is be picture or comments.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18706138/
3 comments:
This article has really put in perceptive the negative effects that social networking websites can have. I do not have Myspace, however I do have a Facebook account that I use regularly. People keep saying how bad it is and I need to delete it before I start looking for a job. Being a normal college student I said it will be fine and did not plan on deleting my page.
However, reading about an actual story about a woman who did not get a job because of her Myspace page really changed my mind. You hear stories about it but never actually see the amount of money someone could lose by not getting a job. Seeing those numbers completely did it for me. $75,000/a good job/future or Facebook…I’ll take the first choice.
Personally I do not have a Myspace account and I could probably count on one hand the times I have viewed one. On the other hand I do have a Facebook account and monitor it several times a week. Being part of social network has definitely helped me to realize that you must be very careful about what you post, whether it is pictures or comments.
Jeopardizing an individual's job for one picture is a little harsh in my eyes, but it allows us to put into perspective the impact these social network sites can have in our lives. After reading this article, I will definitely follow my account a little more closely and ask myself, "Do I really want other people looking at this post or picture?"
During this class was the first time that I join facebook. I am not the type of person who spends every waking minute on my space waiting for something to happen. I would rather go out an enjoy my day. When I put pictures up I think to myself, now what would my grandfather think if he say this picture of me. Then I think for a minute, maybe I shouldn't put my picture on my page. My freshman year, our softball coach told us to watch what we put on our page because we are now representing Westminster Softball and she didn't want to see anything inappropriate. That's true, you have to think of what you are doing and how some day that thing could ruin your life. The internet is a scary thing.
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