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The High Cost of “Friending”

SINCE FACEBOOK’S RISE TO FAME, THE TERM “friending” has found itself becoming a part of the vocabularies of millions throughout the globe. For those who may not be as Facebook-saavy, “friending”

refers to the act of connecting with others through the site’s Friend Request utility. For example, “friending” someone you have just met includes searching for his or her name on Facebook and clicking a link to add him or her as a friend, which means they can choose to connect with you and thus, have access to your Facebook page. Many people go “friending” crazy, sending friend requests to classmates they vaguely remember from the past or their step-cousin twice removed. Whether in an attempt to beat out a friend or family member in friend count, or to make themselves feel just a little bit better about themselves as they see their number of friends on the rise, many people ignore the implications that these “friending” binges may bring. Many see no problem with sending friend requests out to family and friends, thus allowing them access to personal information and photos, but what is the cost of “friending” connections you may have in your professional life? “Friending” co-workers, bosses, and associates on Facebook is a fine idea if you plan to have a Facebook page dedicated only to your professional life. Even if you don’t post status updates about your every move, or what drink you’re indulging in at the bar, this doesn’t mean that your Facebook prof ile is devoted to your professional life. If you are connected with friends and family in addition to members of your professional community, there is no telling what types of information they can post on your page or what embarrassing photos of you they can display. Of course, you can sit by your computer or cell phone all day waiting to erase any inappropriate information that may be posted to your page, but who has the time or patience for that? What happens if you don’t erase that picture Aunt Mary posted in time and your boss sees a picture of you having a little too much fun at a family reunion?

 

It is exceedingly plausible that your bosses and co-workers will judge you based on the information displayed on your Facebook page. In addition, if you are a job applicant, you can be sure that the manager of the posit ion you are applying for will be checking up on your Facebook activity. It may seem like it is none of their business, but when information is thrown out in cyberspace, it becomes everyone’s business. With that said, just because you’re not friends with professional and business connections, doesn’t mean they can’t see your display picture or information. Make sure your display picture isn’t one of you chugging a beer or holding your friend in a headlock. Keep it classy, you never know who’s looking and there’s never a second chance to make a first impression. In addition new security features on Facebook require you to manually set each item on your page that you would like to make private, so make sure you do so to avoid any unwanted information to be seen by prying eyes.

 

A humble suggestion is to have profiles on different social media sites that are geared to the different groups in your life. Perhaps a Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends and a Twitter and/or Linkedin account for your professional contacts. It may seem like a lot to manage, but it will be well worth it when the whole office isn’t gossiping about what they have seen or read about you on the internet. ICE

Writer: Continental Who’s Who® Member Author: cWWIce.com