With the recent controversy over star Tar Heel defensive tackle, Marvin Austin, social networking is yet again a source of contention. Social profiles on the Internet allow people to reveal information that would otherwise be private and secure. Sometimes it seems far-fetched that the University would look into our social profiles, but now that the NCAA has potentially used Twitter as a tip to some shady business, we are reminded that universities and other affiliates have the ability to utilize all their tools, even one’s we unknowingly give them.
We believe the University has the right to look at our public documents online. After all, everyone has the right to public documents with no exception, and that includes the Universities. With this in mind, we think students should be wary of what they put on social networking sites.
Although the admissions office says that they don’t look at social networking profiles, plenty of other departments could do a lot of lasting damage with a revealing profile picture on Facebook. If a resident advisor can identify an inappropriate place that alcohol has been consumed, they can use that picture to bust a resident. The athletics department can use a picture of excessive partying as a deciding factor of whether or not to accept a player on a team. Whether we’re student-athletes or not, we shouldn’t lose sight of these possibilities when we post things online.
When we leave the University life, we should adhere to the same conservative practices. Employers have the same ability to look at our information, and they have the ability to punish us for those pictures more so than the University. Think about every time you looked up a person on Facebook and saw crazy party photos. You may not think anything of it, but an employer may rethink their opinion of you.
We are not saying boycott social networking sites because they have the potential to damage reputations. On the contrary, they can be beneficial both academically and socially. They allow friends to keep in contact under circumstances that would otherwise be difficult. For example, Facebook has helped in crossing chat platforms and coordinating large group events. But these sites are a double-edged sword. If used properly, they are valuable tools and if they are carelessly used, they may come back to haunt you, even after graduation. We should watch our profiles so that our private lives don’t come back to harm us.