New Technology, New Problems

Coutney McClure
February 23, 2010
Filed under Commentary

Social networks are becoming embedded in the stage of adolescence. As more and more teenagers latch on to this growing trend, postings on Myspace and Facebook have become reasons for school suspension or even denial from certain colleges and employment opportunities.

Not surprisingly, students do not see the connection between the two. They are outraged that authority figures are digging so deep, and they have begun to wonder about their privacy rights. Even so, people in powerful positions, like employers or admission directors, are substituting these networks as a way to get to know potential students or employers. They see nothing wrong with “checking out” teens to get a better grasp on their personalities. 

The reasons why people support this concept are understandable. Social networks do allow for more personal relationships. They can also provide a clearer sense of a person’s identity. But as a sole substitute to the face-to-face interview, social networks are simply not effective.

We must realize that Myspace and Facebook and other social networks are just that: places to socialize. The things we choose to post can be intended for comical purposes or ways to promote simple conversation, not things we want to be taken seriously.  Rarely does this material give accurate insight to a person’s true character.

The underlying factor of privacy should also be considered.  When former employers leave work, they return to the comfort of their own homes, where bosses are ignorant to what occurs. In the process of employment, employers do not observe people from their homes to make an educated decision. The same concept should apply when they use these means to make judgments.

At one point in time, all of these officials were teenagers themselves. Surely they know what it feels like to want to be included, no matter the costs. What our Myspaces and Facebooks reveal is our social identities, not the true us. As humans, we take on different roles depending on the people we are around. Surely one does not behave the same in the presence of the President as one would in the presence of a friend.

Understand that social networks do not define us, so we should not be held accountable for the negatives you try so hard to uncover.