In Full Disclosure...oh, wait.

Word Count: 767

This is Sally. Sally is a recent college graduate, majoring in English. Sally is bright, driven, and talented. Today, Sally has a job interview with Random House Publishing for the position of Assistant Editor in the children’s literature department. She is beyond thrilled.

This is Lucy. Lucy is also a recent college graduate, also majoring in English. Like Sally, she is equally bright, driven, and talented. Lucy is preparing for her first job interview today; also at Random House Publishing, also to be an Assistant Editor, also in the children’s literature department. Let’s just assume that she, too, is beyond thrilled.

The interview goes well for both applicants, and the interviewer is having difficulty deciding which interviewee is best for the job. At a stand still, there seems to be but one stone left unturned: Facebook.

In a search for Sally, Mr. Random finds very few posts, and the posts he does see are articles on current events, notifications for Sally’s “currently reading” list, along with the occasional cat lady meme. Her profile picture was taken on a recent trip to Italy, where she sits sandwiched between dear old Mom and Dad.

Feeling more annoyed by the prospect that both women will have squeaky clean records and this will have all been a wash, Sir Big Boss types Lucy’s name in the search bar. Lucy’s page features dozens of recent photos, all appearing to be at nightclubs. In one photo, Lucy stands on top of a bar, drinking something from a shoe. The next photo in the spread, apparently moments later, features a loosey-goose Lucy lying on the bar floor with her skirt risen up to her waist. These photos were taken 2 nights ago.

Care to wager on who landed the job?

This is a classic example of how self-disclosure online differs. Lucy might have made an excellent employee, but next to Sally she looks downright scandalous. Perhaps you’re thinking “But Lindsay, this is a dated example! Everyone makes their profile private now, or is smart enough to know not to post such things!” Oh, how I wish that were true. As the manager, I am currently conducting interviews for a position at my location, and the horrors I have found. The issue with posting inappropriate things on social media isn’t, in my opinion, the actual content. What turns me off from potential employees is the simple fact that they didn’t think twice before posting that picture of them in their current work uniform, two middle fingers in the air.

It’s because of these situations that I do believe we are posting entirely too much of our daily lives.

Sure, privacy settings exist; but as we read in Chapter 4, “Communicating by using any form of technology should be considered public not private communication” (p.100).

When we think about “the dark side of the internet,” one example that always glares out at me is the constant photos of children that take up most of my feed. I take issue with this because these children do not grant the user permission to post these photos, which is a very real violation of their rights as a person. It may not only cause them embarrassment down the road, but very real danger. Let’s take a look:

Sue Anne, who lives in Small Town, Iowa posts a photo of little Savannah in her new school pride t-shirt on the town Facebook page with the caption “So excited for the Homecoming Parade today! Savannah will be on the Kinder Choir float!” Now, Sue Anne isn’t considering that Mr. Smith, a less than savory character, is also a member of the town’s Facebook page. He’ll go to the parade, see little Savannah, and follow their car on the way home to see where they live. Then he’ll watch and wait for the right moment to commit whatever crime he would. It doesn’t matter if you live in a small town or a big city.It all started on Facebook, the most populated metropolis there is.

As for me, I don’t disclose much. In fact, no one is even aware that I’m going back to school save a few close friends. I still live a 20 minute train ride from New York City, and yet when people that I know come up on vacation, no one asks me to “show them around.” Probably because I don’t post a picture next to the Empire State Building every 3 days under a heading of “So in love with this city and my life.” They forget I’m even here. Honestly, I’m alright with that.

Images courtesy of The Peanuts Gallery!: Characters!: