Social Networking Addicts, Take Heed

Posted by in Career Advice



If you've read my blogs before, you know how I feel about social networking. Too many people I know waste countless hours on these sites and with no known purpose. I hate to break it to you, but nobody cares that you just ate a sandwich or that you are tired. I used to feel like I'm the only one with this viewpoint, but now it seems like I'm finding others who agree with me. Social networking can be great when it's used responsibly. I know many who use social networking tools to do just that - network. Certain sites can be great for connecting with people that you'd never meet in a typical day. I also know people who network in person and then "friend" someone they met (maybe for a job lead, or just to exchange industry tips). I see nothing wrong with these situations and I do believe that technology has helped us in many ways. It's when social networking is used irresponsibly that I see a problem.

I was overjoyed to read a few recent articles that express my sentiments. Candace Williams brought up some great points in her recent article . I think these points are especially valid if you're a college student or young person who doesn't know how to differentiate a "social" site from "work." You've heard it many times, but others will view your social networking sites as a Web version of yourself. It's time to represent yourself in the best light possible. If it means posting pictures on a share site instead of a social networking site, all the better.

After telling my 7th grade students about the pitfalls of social networking, I came across another great article. Now, I don't agree that kids are stupid (I AM a teacher), but I loved what this article represented, particularly this quote: Mark Bauerlein writes in The Dumbest Generation, “ … People who read Thucydides and Caesar on war, and Seneca and Ovid on love, are less inclined to construe passing fads as durable outlooks, to fall into the maelstrom of celebrity culture, to presume that the circumstances of their own life are worth a Web page." Herein lies my point: today's generation needs to step it up. I recommend seeing social networking for what it is and not your entire life's purpose. Take a break from it for a while, I highly recommend it.

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Amy Muldoon graduated from Penn State University in 2005 and worked in corporate public relations for three years before returning to graduate school to become an English teacher. Her strengths include: drafting speeches, writing talking points for media interviews, making corporate presentations, and writing for publications.
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  • Helena P
    Helena P
    Sounds great

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