HOW TO SUCCED IN SOCIAL MEDIA… FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

By Logan Boggs and Laura Villwock

An Introduction

• As you probably know, social media is a prevalent force in most students lives.

• We communicate with our friends and family, share our personal photos and statuses, and cultivate our online personalities through social media.

An Introduction• However, misusing social media can have some

dire consequences.

• People have been passed up for job interviews or let go from their jobs due to social media faux pas. Others have even been arrested!

• Read on to learn how to avoid unflattering social media mistakes…

Tip 1: Use, but don’t rely on, privacy

settings

Because even if you’re private...

• Privacy settings are an incredibly useful, vital resource for social media users.

• However, they may not be a secure as they seem.

…you don’t have “privacy.”

• Privacy settings change frequently.

• If they’re not updated, you and your information (including your physical location) may be at risk.

• It is a good idea to check your privacy settings at least monthly to make sure that they’re up to snuff.

Incase you haven’t noticed...

• Facebook has introduced a new feature called “Nearby Friends.”

• It tells your Facebook friends who’s nearby using location information transmitted by their smart phones.

Mine just so happened to be automatically enabled, even though I didn’t opt in...

• The scariest thing is, that if I wouldn’t have gotten the creepiest notification ever, I never would have known, and every one of my friends could see my location. On a map. With directions on how to get there (!)

Here’s an example of what it looked like. Via techcrunch.com.

Tip 2: BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU ACCEPT OR FOLLOW

It’s all about who you know...

• Unfortunately, people associate you with who you associate with, both in real life and on social media.

• It’s common knowledge that prospective employers screen applicant’s social media profiles before making interview and hiring decisions.

• So, if you’re looking to break into the job market as a young professional, you might want to think before following @bigbootydaily or @drunkcatladies.

Yes, these are real profiles..Yes, I now follow @drunkcatladies.

Tip 3: use a strong

password and update it

frequently

Because nothing sucks more than identity theft

• Think about all of the personal information on your Facebook profile. –Your email address. –Your phone number. –Your friend’s phone numbers. –Your geographic location (!)

•What if this information got into the wrong hands, all because you chose FirstName1 as your Facebook password?

•Not to mention, people commonly use the same password for several online accounts (banking perhaps?)

• Don’t give crooks access to your private information just because you’re too lazy to create a challenging password and change it often.

trustno1

...probably not the best bet.

TIP 4: do not post overly personal or

emotional statuses/tweets

We all have “that friend”

• There’s no quicker way to lose friends or followers than to post overly-personal, 140 character emotional bombs to your social networks daily.

• Unfortunately, some people do just

that.

• There’s no reason that the internet needs to know that you’re fighting with your significant other or that you hate your job.

• Only post things on a need to know basis. Save the passive aggressive stuff for a close friend or family member– not the internet.

Also, don’t do things like this...

Because you will be shamed by the entire internet. Via BuzzFeed.

Tip 5: don’t post incriminating

picture to your profiles

This should be common sense...

• But you would be surprised about how many social media users regularly post embarrassing or incriminating photos on their profiles.

• These pictures have led to them getting passed up for jobs, suspended, and even arrested.

Would you hire those people? Probably not.

Tip 6: be mindful of tagging friends

Don’t incriminate your friends

• Before you go to upload a photo to Facebook you should always ask if it paints you, or your friends, in a good light.

• If not, you should probably refrain from posting it.

Let them incriminate themselves

• Before posting an embarrassing photo or video of a friend, ask them for permission.

• After all, sally might be looking for a job, and it might be kind of hard to explain that keg stand she did last weekend to her prospective employer.

Your friends will thank you

Tip 7: don’t post anything culturally insensitive

Use your brain

• It’s NEVER a good idea to post anything hateful on social networking.

• Whether you generate the content or share/retweet it, it makes you look like an awful individual.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion...

• But not every opinion needs to be broadcast across the internet! Think before you post!

• Innocent jokes can also be misconstrued and cause loads of unwanted trouble.

Probably not the best PR move...Via funnie.st

TIP 8: monitor your posts for negative comments

Comments may cause controversy...

• That you may not want directed your way.

• Even if you post something inherently harmless, sometimes a friend’s off the wall comments can escalate things to a inappropriate or offensive level.

• Check the comments on your posts! Remember, you are who you associate with in the eyes of your employer or your school.

• Don’t forget that it’s okay to delete a comment made by someone else if it makes you uncomfortable– it’s your page!

Tip 9: don’t speak

negatively about your school or

professors

Don’t sh*t where you eat

• It would seem that the majority of these tips SHOULD be common sense. The sad thing is, however, that people get in trouble every day for irresponsible use of social media.

It’s okay to be frustrated...

• It’s okay and perfectly normal to be frustrated with your school or one of your professors during at least one point in your college career.

• Deal with your frustrations through the appropriate channels– don’t blast the school or professor on social media.

Tip 10: don’t speak

negatively your job

Work may suck...

• But you know what sucks more? Getting fired over something stupid you posted online.

• Before you mindlessly fire off a tweet exclaiming how much you hate your job or boss, stop to think “what would happen if my boss saw this?”

• It’s normal to be fed up with your job. Everyone knows the feeling well. But, keep the bad mouthing among friends or family– not on social media.

Or end up like this. Oops.

Via Funnie.st.