In a society with an ever-increasing reliance on technology, social media has claimed its place as one of the largest forms of digital communication for today's generation. Websites like Twitter, Vine, Facebook, and even MySpace have all changed the face of how people keep in contact with one another. Today, people of any age and location can instantly connect with someone across the world simply by the use of technology. Social media websites are one of the most popular ways to communicate with others; they allow strangers to meet, friends to converse, and families to keep in touch. Knowing that individuals can post their personal views and thoughts on their own social media pages, many employers inspect potential employee's personal social media sites to see what kind of image he or she portrays. In many cases, employers will turn away applicants based on the impressions they receive from their social media outlets. Additionally, there is no filter on social media sites to protect individuals from accidentally sharing personal information that could lead to identity theft, robbery, and even stalking. Because of these reasons, young adults are constantly berated with instruction to limit use of social media and, in some cases, avoid it altogether. Although these warnings are based off legitimate concerns, the fact is that social media is not going anywhere; it is constantly growing and has been popular for far too long to be considered a passing fad. At this point, it would be more appropriate to implement a formal instruction on how to use social media to an advantage, rather than constantly lecturing people to put it away. Teaching individuals from a young age how to appropriately present themselves in a professional and safe manner through social media is imperative for the online safety and well being of future generations.
In America's workplace, individuals who understand how to use technology, specifically social media, are in high demand.