by John Huetteman

Created on: March 04, 2010   Last Updated: December 16, 2011

People worldwide spend more time than ever on-line with 19% of that time spent globally on social networking.  Four out of every five people who have access to the internet across the world use social networks in some form – whether it be to chat with friends, play a game, share photos and videos, many use social networking several times a day and some on multiple devices.  With social networking being such a pervasive and integral part of the online experience penetrating all aspects of consumers’ lives, now more than ever it is important to maintain a professional Facebook profile.  

1.  Privacy

Although Facebook is a great social networking site and facilitates communication with others, many people do not understand just how much of that communication is visible to other visitors who may not be incorporated into a Friends List.  In December of 2009, Facebook established a new set of privacy settings that was intended to give members more control over personal information.  This was viewed by many as a sneaky attempt by Facebook to push its members to expose more information about themselves because of the default settings containing data: like photos, city, gender, and information about family and relationships, which is set up to be shared with everyone on the Internet  (Lyons, 2010).  Understanding privacy settings in Facebook is a great way to protect communication from being visible to uninterested third parties and is available in a guide entitled Settings Every Facebook User Should Know (O'Neill, 2009).

2.  Employers look to Facebook for Knowledge

Tim DeMello who owns Internet company Ziggs estimated in 2006 that 20 percent of companies secretly scan online profiles before they interview applicants.  What companies find is shocking — party pictures, “including profiles that detail drug use, orgies and illegal behavior….”

According to DeMello, employers have admitted that they have learned how to access profiles marked as “private."  What most don't realize in posting pictures and making lewd comments on their profiles is that those comments and pictures make up an online footprint that can be attached to their names for the rest of their careers (Clark, 2006).

As of August, 2009, that 20 percent estimate has grown to 45 percent (Wortham, 2009).

3.  World and Internet populations increasingly similar

Finally, Internet World Stats reports that

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>