by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: March 28, 2010   Last Updated: April 17, 2010

Facebook is absolutely one of the best social networking sites on the Internet. Used appropriately, it can help you rekindle friendships from the past, find new friends, and generally connect with business associates, colleagues, and people with similar interests. It can get or keep you in touch with family members. It can lead you to groups of all kinds with which you identify and ones you support. It can create solidarity for worthy causes. It can be a place to showcase your art or writing and other talents. Facebook can also provide a little lighthearted entertainment for those who need a break from the routines of everyday life without breaking the bank, (important in this economy.) Facebook charges nothing for membership.There are many games and brain challenges that help keep the mind sharp, and most are absolutely free. These are all good things!

On the flip side, Facebook can be a detriment to your career. It can even end your career.

Using this site appropriately means staying within the boundaries of good taste. Many people are not aware that some employers check up on their workers' posts to see what has been made public. If a user is "bad-mouthing" or even inferring unpleasant information about the boss or co-workers, their place of employment, or even about the job itself, the employer can make life very rough for the unsuspecting employee. Even if the user is being sarcastic or unpleasant to someone outside the place of employment, it tends to send a message that the worker is someone other than who they've portrayed themselves to be.

When this happens, it is probably not going to take long for the employee to have to start looking for another job. They will feel undervalued at the present one, may wonder why, and also realize that something has changed in working relationships they previously enjoyed. What's worse, they still may not have any idea that the cause of all of this is their own activity on Facebook.

It may be bewildering, because the employee may have been presenting their best self around the boss, may have been respectful to co-workers, and may have done their level best at their job. But all is not as it used to be. They fail to understand that what they've been posting on Facebook or the way they've been using their time there - even the people they associate with and groups they belong to - have negatively impacted their employment.

An employee may be puzzled about why they do not seem to have the rapport with their boss that

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