There once was a time when high school students had the promise of getting into a college of their choosing if they made good grades, had good SAT scores, and participated in extracurricular activities. That time may now be coming to an end thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. According to a recent study through Kaplan Test Prep, approximately 31 percent of the 381 college admission counselors that participated in the study admit to looking up their applicants Facebook pages (Singer BU3). More astounding than that statistic is that 30 percent of those who look at applicants Facebook pages admit that they had discovered information that negatively affected the student’s chances at being accepted (Singer BU3). …show more content…
Lawyers specializing in Social Media cases are also paying close attention to these new criteria for admissions into college. Many such as Bradley Shear are questioning potential flaws in the system which could lead to major legal troubles for some school using this practice. Shear was recently quoted in a New York Times article stating “colleges might erroneously identify the account of a person with the same name as a prospective student — or even mistake an impostor’s account — as belonging to the applicant, potentially leading to unfair treatment. “Often,” he added, “false and misleading content online is taken as fact” (Singer BU3). A law suit waiting to happen if a university falsely denies an applicant based upon information on social media websites that cannot be easily identified as accurate. Shears fear of colleges erroneously identifying applicants on social media websites may not be too far off. Students across the country who have caught wind of this new hidden practice used by some universities have begun to make pseudonym accounts with fake names and identities to deter colleges from looking into the real them (Singer). High School students across the country are being taught to be cautious and perhaps even sneaky with their social networking sites for fear that the college of their choosing participates in this not so publicized practice. Two different personas for one student, only one is the “college approved version”. That’s
However, some people may think them looking at an applicant’s social media profile is an invasion of privacy but they should know that anything they put out on the internet is public information for anyone to see. Social media can be used as a great asset in figuring out who to admit to their college and who to give the job everyone applied for. Colleges and employers should continue to use
The article “Youthful Indiscretions: Should Colleges Protect Social Network Users from Themselves and Others?” is written by Dana L. Fleming and appears in the winter 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Higher Education. Fleming’s objective with this article is to show college students the dangers of social networking sites, and at the same time she is advising parents on the social networking world.
Higher education law attorney Dana L. Fleming voices her controversial opinion in favor of institutionalized involvement in social network protection in her article “Youthful Indiscretions: Should Colleges Protect Social Network Users from Themselves and Others?” (Fleming). Posted in the New England Journal of Higher Education, winter of 2008 issue, Fleming poses the question of responsibility in monitoring students’ online social networking activities. With a growing population of students registering on social networks like Facebook and MySpace, she introduces the concern of safety by saying, “like lawmakers, college administrators have not yet determined how to handle the unique issues posed by the public display of their students’
The use of social media by colleges and employers may increase as time goes on. Although some may say people have a right to personal business, it is not personal if it is posted to the public. To avoid people from looking at one’s social media, keep the page
In our generation so many people have different social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and so many more. Millions of people post pictures and updates on their accounts every single day, all day long. When scrolling through Twitter or Instagram, you may see a picture of a group of friends drinking alcohol at a party, saying comments that should not be said, or participating in things that they probably shouldn’t be. These people may not realize that when they post things of that nature not only their friends, but also future employers or college admissions offices, can see them as well and very well may affect their decision making process on whether or not they want you to have that job or spot in their student body. The director of admissions at Harvard admits they do view applicants’ accounts when they come across a red flag on their applications, but they do not view every single prospective student’s account (Source A).
Starting off, the main argument of Alan Finder’s text, “Social Networking”, is stating his position on whether he believes Social Networking is the right or wrong thing to do. In other words, the writer claims that Facebook, MySpace, and other entities contain immature and unprofessional items that should not be on there. The writer supports his claim by pointing out that students post vile photographs and they talk about drinking, drugs, or sexual exploits. He maintains that if colleges or companies do look at your social media accounts, then it shows them how that person is and what kind of things he or she does in their daily life. In my point of view, I believe that Social Networking is a bad idea and no one should have the right to look at something that contains your privacy.
Recently, Johnston was asked by the program’s internship director to select a student intern for the upcoming semester. The program director forwarded the resumes of three students who had applied for the internship position. Johnston, who had previously been a part of the hiring process, first considered the intern candidate’s grade point average, work experience, and career goals. However, this time, she also decided to see if the internship candidates had any social media presence on the Internet. Unexpectedly, all three candidates had social media profiles either on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Two out of the three internship candidates had positive social media presence. They had posted about their student extracurricular activities, work activities, family, and friends. However, the remaining internship candidate, Lisa, had a negative social media presence. Lisa had used the social platform of
Applications, recommendations, and essays; essential keys when starting a new phase in one’s life. But maybe there is one thing a potential student is forgetting to perfect when sending in their submissions: their social media profiles. A survey showed that one in ten admissions counselors at the country’s top five hundred colleges are now viewing social media sites as a component of the admission’s process, as stated in Source A (Cartwright).) Although some believe this practice will lead to unfair discrimination and is an unethical practice, it comes down to a simple factor: if a social media profile is public, it is now public knowledge.
Social media is defined as websites and applications used for social networking, in other words it is a way for people to interact and express themselves without being face to face. Social media has become a large part of the life of teenagers, who make up most of the population of people who are subjected to using social media in their daily lives. Many college students are faced with balancing their social lives with school and even athletics making priorities a big dilemma for them. College students in America are affected in many ways by social media whether it be their social life, their happiness, or their grades.
Students who are planning to enroll into a college should clean up their social media before in enrolling and to make this process easier high schools should have days when juniors and seniors log into their social media and start deleting posts that would influence a college admission officer to deny them into the college. In conclusion, colleges should check social media during the application process and to most likely get accepted students in high school should clean up their social
Because adolescents are growing up with more access to social networking, texting and instant messaging on various sites have become prime means of communication. While this is not necessarily bad, many people feel the need to over-share things about their personal lives online. More and more people are using Facbeook and more and more employers are using Facebook to scope out potential employees. If there are inappropriate pictures and comments all over someone’s Facebook page, they are more likely to not receive the job. Some students get in trouble for things they post on Facebook and Twitter. Some users are beginning to notice this and have started deactivating their accounts to regain a sense of privacy. CNN’s article “The anti-social network: Life without Facebook”, states that some students who are trying to maintain a professional image for future employment are deleting their pages.
Most social networking profiles are public, therefore everyone can see them who has access to the internet. Lots of people who use social media are quick to judge from what others post on their pages, or profiles. Colleges admissions officers and employers sometimes look on social networks to learn more about their potential students, or employers. Some people may believe checking someone’s Facebook page or Instagram page is wrong and unfair. However, the employers and admissions officers have the right to check the internet because he or she willingly put the information on the internet. The fact is, employers and college admissions officers should check social networking profiles.
A second factor, social media could also have a huge effect on education. The use of social networks such as facebook and twitter are very well known, especially by most college students. David Gewirtz realized that some of the people who see a personal social media website could be a friend, potential employer, and even a stranger. Gewirtz warned most students to monitor what they are posting online. He says “ You could be a teenager today who is 15 and say inappropriate things, and then as an adult looking for a job as a CEO.” He is sending people a warning to monitor what they post because what is on that website might potentially ruin a chance of employment. (Michelle 1-2). College
Are we becoming less human with the passing of each day? Have we become too dependent on technology, specifically social media? In this day and age, people have different views on social media. They question its true purpose and its effect on society as a whole. With that said, although there are many thoughts concerning the topic/trend of social media something that is undoubtedly true is that social media plays an active role in the lives of the majority of people. Whether in a positive or negative way, social media influences the lives of all people. However this paper focuses on the effect of social media on college students. It addresses both the positive and negative effects of social media on those in college; focusing on a student’s academic efficiency, social interactive skills, and overall productivity.
According to Renee Fricks, vice president of human resources at Imperial Capital, “Your social media profile can be more revealing that your resume” (Cohen, 10). Social media has become a normal use of technology of an average college student. From Facebook and Twitter, there is a means of connecting students on diverse planes via the Internet. This allows employers to search any potential job candidate’s social media to investigate user’s posts to determine if they fit their position and hold themselves with high moral regard. If students do not monitor what they post, potential employers may be turned away because of inappropriate pictures, conversations, or other behaviors. Learning about proper social media uses can prevent qualified candidates from losing job opportunities.