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For years now our society has been indulging in the “selfie” trend. While the act of taking a selfie may be harmless in itself, this is usually followed by posting the photo online to numerous social media outlets and tagging individuals who may or may not be present. As a college aged student, this happens almost daily and in many cases the photos that are being posted could be damaging to their reputation.
It is astounding to me how individuals can rely solely on their social media privacy settings to prevent others from seeing harmful posts. This is especially alarming to me because in many cases there are ways around social media privacy settings as described in this article. We need to be more aware than ever regarding what is being posted about us online. A simple search of your name on Google can be eye opening and I recommend that everyone does it from time to time. Think of it as a credit check for your reputation.
Education is paramount in preventing these types of situations from arising. Sitting our younger generations down at an early age and educating them on the importance of their social media presence can make a big difference in their future success. We teach our children the importance of making a good impression and dressing appropriately so why shouldn’t we educate them about having an appropriate online presence?
There have been some great articles on the topic. Please feel free to review these articles and share your ideas on the topic:
Is Your Online Identity Hurting Your Chances? Creating and Maintaining a Professional Presence Online: A Roundup and Reflection Should School Teach Social Media Skills? Professional Online Identity 
