Monday, October 1, 2007

Growing up

Just a scroll through Facebook shows images that will bring about unemployment for awhile. We ask ourselves why anyone would put those up. The answer is obvious: Because it's cool. Facebook is fine for keeping in touch with friends or aiding in projects. It's even fun. However college students need to grow up. This kind of social networking is a sign of the age. It's a place for kids to go to prove who they are, away from parents. Above all it's a place to express yourself and prove your worth through pic. or the amount of friends. In a high school world drinking is on the edge of cool. We carry that with us to college. MySpace and Facebook are not a great concern of mine. It seemed logical that eventually they would go widely public and privacy issues would set in. This happens with any new system (Second Life). Anytime a person puts anything on the web, privacy is a concern. The user simply has to be smart about the system. To know that it doesn't matter if it's fair that an employer will look at that page. It is simply what happens. Deal with it. Social networking is something that seemed logical along a time span. It use to be drugstores then telephones now computers. So it's not really a question of why the youth heart Myspace. It's a common trend and a new take on an old way of communicating. In a report by Rebecca Loebe (filed here http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/2007/09/18/fap628-facebook-owns-your-life-private-student-loans-rebecca-loebe/ ) she states that it is a shame that college students have to be so conscious of privacy at a time where they just want to enjoy life. So cry me a river. We are in college and therefore should be able to handle responsibility. The idea of privacy is old (don't talk to strangers) but now we become more aware of it. Perhaps that not a bad thing. To become more aware of it makes us guarded and better prepared in a world where concerns about privacy is increasing. So accept the fact that employers look at it. Be wary of predators. Above all get over your high school self and don't put stupid stuff on facebook. All the privacy settings in the world are not ironclad and it was like that even before facebook blew up into the monstrosity that it is today. I understand the idea of high schoolers and their expression through myspace. It is truly a "look at me" place. You have a whole profile dedicated to your simplest likes and wants. It feels good to believe that it's important. I get it. But I'm not in high school anymore.

No comments: