Introduction
Social
media has been around for quite awhile before it has taken off in its current
form. As social media becomes more popular it has its growing pains to deal
with. Some grow fast and die off, while others are replaced with new sites that
offer different features. One of the main growing pains with social media has
to deal with problems in the user’s experience. This could be many topics but I
will be concentrating on three for now: Problems with personal relationship,
Problems with school, and problems with work.
Social media is a
great way to connect with family and friends around the world. With one look at
your social media stream you can see pictures, find out how people are doing
and tell everyone how you are. Everyone is connected at a moment’s notice,
which can also cause problems. In a Pew study 26% of adults surveyed
“experienced at least one of the bad outcomes that were queried” (Rainie L.,
Lenhart, A. and Smith, A. (February 9, 2012). The tone of life on
social networking sites. In Pew Internet Research Project. Retrieved 02/22/14, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/09/the-tone-of-life-on-social-networking-sites/). This number grows to 41% in teens reporting at
least one negative experience. From this information you can see below the
percentages of the following: Friendships lost, face to face arguments, problems
in the familiy, gotten into a physical fight, and gotten in trouble at work.
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Rainie L., Lenhart,
A. and Smith, A. (February
9, 2012). The tone of
life on social networking sites. In Pew Internet Research Project. Retrieved 02/22/14, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/09/the-tone-of-life-on-social-networking-sites/.
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Rainie L., Lenhart,
A. and Smith, A. (February
9, 2012). The tone of
life on social networking sites. In Pew Internet Research Project. Retrieved 02/22/14, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/09/the-tone-of-life-on-social-networking-sites/.
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Work is another
area that people are experiencing problems with the content of their social
media pages. Employers have been asking for passwords and log in information
for social media sites so they could look over what the person had been
posting. As of January 10, 2014 twelve states have made it
illegal for employers to ask for the workers and potential employees. In an On
Device Research poll from the United State,
The Unite Kingdom, Brazil,
China, India
and Nigeria shows
the percentage of people who have been declined because of comments or pictures
on their profile.
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| http://ondeviceresearch.com/blog/facebook-costing-16-34s-jobs-in-tough-economic-climate#sthash.qqKuIS4g.6UtNLnT8.dpbs). |
China
has the highest of 16% and 14% in the respective age groups. The United States
are 8% for ages 16-24 and 7% for 25-34 (Quinn, S. (May 13, 2013). Facebook costing 16-34s jobs in
tough economic climate . In On Device Research. Retrieved 02/22/14, from http://ondeviceresearch.com/blog/facebook-costing-16-34s-jobs-in-tough-economic-climate#sthash.qqKuIS4g.6UtNLnT8.dpbs).
Higher Education is an area where you could find trouble with social media. According to Kaplan Test
Prep’s 2013 study of college admissions officers “29 % have Googled an
applicant and 31% have checked an applicant’s Facebook page to learn more about
them”(Schaffer, R. (October 31, 2013). Kaplan Test Prep Survey: More
College Admissions Officers
Checking Applicants’ Digital Trails, But Most Students Unconcerned. In Kaplan
Test Prep Online Pressroom. Retrieved 02/22/14,
from http://press.kaptest.com/press-releases/kaplan-test-prep-survey-more-college-admissions-officers-checking-applicants-digital-trails-but-most-students-unconcerned.). This past year the admissions officers have seen a drop in the percentage
of prospective students from 35% to 30% in the number of students who may be
denied because of negative behavior. This is more likely to the fact that
students are better able to hide themselves with using different names and not
having themselves tagged in photographs.
Social Media is a great thing to have if you can utilize it responsibly. You have to be careful what you say and who you are “friends” with on the sites. Your decisions will have a lasting effect on your personal relationships, higher education and work. What you post does not go away. Avoid the drama and just have fun connecting with people you may not have been able to 20 years ago.
