By Angela Charlton, PhD
Manager of Player Engagement
Did you know – The information you “Tweet” is never gone. The Library of Congress catalogs ALL tweets!
Keeping up with the Kardashians, Jersey Shore and The Real World – just to name a few – are some of the most popular television shows on today. People seem to be more interested in reality TV than fictional shows most likely because so many are willing to let us have an intimate view into their personal lives. If people are willing to invite virtual strangers into their private lives and activities, there are millions eager to go there.
Have you ever thought that posting information on Facebook and Twitter is much like starring in your very own reality show? There are many positive things related to the use of social media such as contacting new and old friends, letting others know some of the positive things you are doing, and reaching out to fans.
However, keep in mind that although you may be alone when you Tweet, it’s as if you are in the middle of a football stadium sharing information about yourself. Once you put something on the web, it is there for any and everyone to see. Colleges and universities as well as future employers such as the NFL look at social networking sites of prospective students and employees. Many organizations designate someone to monitor these sites.
Both positive and negative information travels at record speed through social media. Remember the earthquake that hit the East Coast in August, 2011? It only took news of the earthquake about 30 seconds to travel from Washington, DC to New York. Twitter recorded 5,500 earthquake-related Tweets per second! Within one minute of the earthquake, 40,000 Tweets were recorded! That being said, just imagine how fast a picture, post, or Tweet can go viral.
With that in mind, ALWAYS REMEMBER: Don’t post or Tweet anything that you wouldn’t want your mother to read. (Besides, it’s likely that she’s watching, too!)