Last month the country was rocked by the tragic suicide of a young college student who had had his sexual encounter with another man streamed online by his roommate and a "friend." While the situation illustrates the dangers of bullying as a whole, it also demonstrates the impact technology and social networking have had on spewing hate.
Time was, bullying took place on the school playground. Now, the social arena of the Web plays host to a stomach-turning barrage of online insults and taunting, whether with real-life acquaintances or complete strangers half a world away.
I also can't help but think of the two students who posted the video online... what on earth were they thinking? Are youths today so desensitized to the online public free-for-all that they failed to see how this was a gross violation of privacy? While the students are currently facing charges, even if they get off scot-free the damage to their reputations will be irreparable. What employer would want to hire someone associated with this horrible incident?
This situation is an extreme example of online bullying. However, many of us engage in milder forms of online abuse that can have serious repercussions for our careers and personal lives. Companies Google prospective employees all the time, and things such as offensive blog posts or expletive-ridden comments can be a major red flag.
To improve your online behavior, follow these rules when using the Web.
Go anonymous where possible. While everything you post online is more or less traceable, you can avoid embarrassing Google search results by using an anonymous handle that doesn't reveal your name or identifying details.
Be respectful, even when you disagree. If you want to comment on a news article, sports blog, or political site, go ahead. But don't think that because you have an "anonymous" handle you can say whatever you want. For instance, on major news articles I often scroll down and see disgusting comments filled with racism, political intolerance, and name-calling. It adds nothing to the conversation-it's just ugly. I once heard that character is who you are when nobody else is looking. Even if your comments are anonymous, you shouldn't say something that you wouldn't say to a person's face. If you disagree with an issue, be diplomatic and state your case intelligently. Being vicious only makes you look like the loser.
Don't bad-mouth people on social networking sites. I'm amazed at how many people use Facebook to air their personal grievances, whether it's an issue with their boss, their best friend, or their spouse. Nobody needs to know your dirty laundry. If you have an issue, either vent to a friend over coffee, or take up the matter with the other person. Getting into a war of words online is embarrassing and reflects poorly on you.
Keep your personal conversations private. Leaving a short, impersonal message for someone on Twitter or Facebook is fine. But a full-on conversation? Save it for a phone call or email. The other day I noticed that an acquaintance and her friend were constantly posting back and forth on her Facebook page, even though their conversation was fairly intimate and including badmouthing other people (who could presumably see it). So tacky. If you were in a public space, you wouldn't dream of having a private conversation right under someone's nose-so why do it online?
Think twice. You can't be too careful. Before you post anything on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, YouTube, or anything else online, consider whether or not a) the post reflects well of your character, b) the post will hurt someone, or c) the post could have negative repercussions. Remember the guy who got fired for Tweeting about hating the city he was visiting on a business trip, only to get fired when the client saw it? And let's not forget the recent case of Juan Williams, the NPR correspondent who got fired for saying on Fox News that he was uncomfortable when flying with Muslims. If in doubt, leave it out.
Ultimately, when online you should aim to be as private as possible, while remembering that the Golden Rule extends to the online world as well as the real world-in theory, at least.
Juanita Ecker, president of Professional Image Management, is a business etiquette and international protocol consultant. She can be reached by phone at (518) 279-9388 or online at [
http://www.professionalimagemanagement.com]http://www.professionalimagemanagement.com.
Article Source: [
http://EzineArticles.com/?Your-Online-Presence-Does-Matter&id=5347983] Your Online Presence Does Matter
