Facebook-my life before college. I got a facebook account the summer before freshman year of college. I was so excited to look up all the new boys in girls in the class of 2010! I browsed randomly facebook stalking my fellow classmates, looking for the "cool kids". These were the kids whose profile picture was either a pretty prom picture or a picture of themselves holding the ever present red solo cup.
As the summer progressed I was friended by random people that i didn't know. I was actually worried at one point because I thought I wouldn't have any friends at school because I didn't have as many facebook friends or look as cool as all these other kids.
After arriving at school, I reconized my new "friends" around campus, but could never bring myself to say anything to them. I mean we were friends right? Wrong! Facebook and other online profiles allow users to protray themselves in anyway they like. After a break up you can look like you don't care that your ex just stepped all over your heart because you have a picture up with 15 of his closest friends all around you. Check out this youtube video, it's all about these guys who revamp their myspace pages to attract girlfriends
While some people use these profiles to impress people they know, many other people can gain access to these same pictures. Your online reputation preceeds you and so do these images. For my sorority, we take down all of our pictures where we look too intoxicated or any other ones that we wouldn't want an employers or a grandmother to see. I'm glad we do this because it makes me asses how I look to other people. Maybe holding the red solo cup in every picture is a bad idea.
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I had about a hundred or so random Facebook friends before I came to AU. That was a huge waste, I must've only talked to 2 or 3 of them. So I eventually deleted the rest. I tell my friends that will be going to college soon to not waste their time friending random people, but they don't listen.
Yea. It's obviously bad if you're trashed in pictures that are up on the net. Employers are looking. However, I think you can edit your privacy settings so that only your closest friends can see your pics. We need to draw a line in the sand that prevents employers from looking at our social lives on these networking sites. I feel it's unfair for them to make judgements from pictures, unless it's completely blatant (i.e. - smoking weed in a picture or something to that level).
I've taken off all of my pictures. No one can see them except me - for the exact reason you mention. Reputations and images are easily misconceived, especially with how the Internet is today. Anyone can be or pretend to be however they want. Its a little frightening...
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