Facebook: To Do or Not To Do?
My friend tells me this story of a guy who went into a job interview, well-prepared and all charm, only to have the hiring manager turn around his computer screen and show the guy’s Facebook profile to him.
“I’m going to tell you right now,” the boss-man said, “You’re not getting this job, and here’s why. But let’s go ahead and do the interview. It’ll be good practice for you.”
This really happened, she swears. Within the last few months. To someone I almost know.
Do you Facebook? And if so, have you thought about the potential viewers of your page, including future employers? I know that when I was hiring for assistants, I looked them up on Facebook. I don’t know what I was looking for really, but I did do it. And I also know, just from enough casual conversations with random people, that almost everyone looks almost everyone else up.
So. I do have a FB, and I do use it regularly, but I have it set on private.
I have other concerns with FB, besides what strangers are viewing it or what they’ll be thinking. I hate the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses mentality it creates. At any point, morning, noon or night, I can click to see who’s updated what last–who’s engaged, who’s having a baby, who just got a new car and has created an entire slide show of photos.
I can’t tell you the time I’ve wasted looking at every detail of someone’s vacation, even though I barely know the person and might not say hello to them on the street. This, I’m pretty sure, is not healthy.
It’s no secret to me that my heart, deep inside, is an ugly one. And sometimes, I’ll just tell you this too, I get jealous. I feel like I’m falling behind everyone else. That everyone else (note the “everyone”) is getting better jobs, cooler apartments, prettier friends/boyfriends/spouses/children/pets/etc. Instead of being happy for them, like their friend (FB or not) should be, I’ll envy them.
Yet every time I think I should delete my account, I remember the roommates, good friends, long-lost coworkers that I wouldn’t keep in touch with otherwise. So I don’t delete, and the cycle continues.
I know the solution is bigger than deleting my FB, bigger than avoiding the slide shows or updates. I know the only thing (or One) capable of quelling my green heart is the One who made it. I need to live for His approval, not the Joneses, or anyone else’s, for that matter.
Wow. Amazing how a thought about Facebook leads to a reminder of worldviews and eternal relationships.
That’s my take. What say you?
Filed under a deeper look at life, communication, job-hunting |
13 Responses to “Facebook: To Do or Not To Do?”
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Facebook is an issue of judgement. Should I post this picture, should I not? Just go private and control who get’s to see. I don’t let just anyone come into my house and I don’t accept all friend requests either on Facebook.
I have Facebook, but like you, have set it to private. I also make sure not to have any pictures of myself doing anything inappropriate … there aren’t even pictures of me with an alcoholic beverage in my hand.
Also, I’m like you … I always look at the profiles of people I’m barely friends with … and I compare myself to them. Am I doing better than them? Are they doing better than me? How come they get to go on all these fancy vacations? Where are they getting the money from? They must have a really well paying job. She’s PREGNANT? Divorced twice already?
It’s so unhealthy, yet I do it. My friends do it.
I saw my friend this weekend, and as she was leaving, she said “I’ll talk to you on Facebook.”
It’s like we’re training ourselves to update our friends with our lives through the computer, instead of through normal, social interaction. And I always think about deleting my account, but then how will I keep in touch with my friends? It’s awful.
Very interesting blog topic. I am actually going on an interview tomorrow and never considered that while applying for future employment I should delete my facebook account. But I am really considering doing it today. While it is nice to see what all your friends are up…especially when you don’t have the time to talk with them daily, I would hate to ruin my chances at a job I long for because of something that I have posted on facebook. While my page is currently set to private that is not fail-proof. What if I know someone that already works in the company and they are on my friend list? They could easily allow access to my page. This will just be one less thing for me to worry from day to day - who facebooked me. ACCOUNT DELETED!
I deleted my account. First of all, there is more idleness on Facebook than there is actual usefulness. That was actually the biggest thing to me. I felt that I was “keeping in touch” with people, but really I was just throwing sheep at them.
And it was time consuming. And people seem to be more willing to share things on FB that would go against their better judgment in real life. I have lost respect for several people I know because of their FB page! Plus, the reasons that you mentioned. Before I deleted the account, I jotted down the e-mail addresses of the people I want to keep in touch with. Then I deleted the account, and I don’t regret it. 
DP: Yeah, that’s another thing I don’t get. Why do people I don’t know ask to be my FB friend?
Krystal: Well said!! I think your last comment about how we’re training ourselves to communicate via computers is spot on. I was doing some research on management this weekend, and I read an article that said our generation is very cyber in our communication styles. As in: e-mail, IM… don’t call or come meet me. Interesting. I wonder how this will play out in the future.
Penny: Did you really delete it? Way to go! You’ll have to tell me if you miss it. And best wishes for your interview!!
I’ve used facebook - my boss is on facebook, my company has a facebook page. The point of any social tool is to show that you are up on the trends - it also gives you a public face If you treat your facebook like it is - a social look at your life, you can show off your strengths, or you can post pictures of yourself drunk, doing drugs, and other illicit behavior.
It’s a tool - nothing more or less. How you use it is up to you.
Zen: that is the best response. It’s a tool. Excellent point.
My Facebook profile isn’t viewable unless you’re in my college network–I’m also in the New York network, but folks in that network need to friend me to see my profile. I have been asked, in a job application, to submit the URL of my Facebook profile, and did so without worry–there’s nothing on there that I’m ashamed of (aside from a couple of unflattering photos and some candid Wall-to-Wall talk about my grad school plans), and I intend to keep it that way.
Yup, I use FB as a networking tool. I’m on my college network and will be on another one as soon as I get accepted in!:D I treat it as a professional networking tool, although I do have friends all the way back from HS that I love to keep in touch in. I don’t post pictures etc and I don’t post every single itsy bitsy details about my life. I am not so into myself that I think random strangers would want to read all about me!! Hehe.
EM: Wow, they really asked for the URL? Like they couldn’t look it up already? And I don’t get it: would your giving the URL make them able to access it?
Bobbi: Good thoughts, as well. I’m leaning more and more towards paring down my existing account, making it more of a networking tool.
I love that as an interview question! (I wonder what our HR guy would think of asking it, though…) Think about it: the answers are a.) just give the url, b.) panic and stammer c.) get defensive d.) lie and say you don’t have one (which is really awful if they actually have found your url) or e.) tell the truth and say you don’t have one. Any of these 5 answers tells the interviewer something interesting.
Ah, FGS: I get it! It’s more of a test than letting them get access. Clever!
Use Linkedin as business profile, networking means. Use your facebook to bridge and do some social networking, I suggest keep that more light. But show some judgement, maturtity and thought about what you put on there.
My nephew was killed in a car accident in December and I become the Uncle to an entire high school senior class. Many, many kids in that class have added my as a friend(we are all marked as family) and leave me many comments, all of them not professional.(they are seniors in highschool, they don’t know what professional means). I would never block them or delete them. I am an “uncle” to them and being an uncle and my family is more important then my work or business.
I guess what I’m saying is, I’m not afraid to show who I am. Some people should have some shame though and not publicize their poor judgement.
An interesting note that I’m learning about the future generation, I am 30 so that makes me old. My nieces do NOT email unless it is something formal or important. Everything is either facebooked, IM’d or text.