It seems every business, celebrity, and adolescent with a pulse has a Twitter account. Are you a part of the Twitterverse? If you are not I’m willing to bet that the teens in your life are. Myspace has been laid to rest, Facebook is on its last leg, and Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr are occupying lots of teen time. Please be aware that the social media warnings and risks have remained constant throughout the trending cycles.
I must admit that from a business stand point I think that Twitter is awesome. What’s not to love? I can interact with hundreds if not thousands of people at once. My tweets can be seen and retweeted all over the world. I am not limited by time zones because the Twitterverse is available twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. In short, my message reaches the masses. These same benefits can be detrimental to a teen.
Social media, cell phones, and the internet allow teens to have unlimited access to both friends and enemies. Teen conflict and unwise decisions can live on in cyberspace long after peace has been reached and important life lessons have been learned. For teens in the foster care system there is a fine line between building healthy connections and a vibrant support system and compromising confidentiality, privacy, and even safety in some instances.
In this (our second) post in the career exploration and workforce development blog series I want to stress the importance of teens understanding that their social media image can be a key factor in landing the internship or job of their dreams and being overlooked or fired.
Three things to remember while job hunting:
- Many, many employers search for applicants on social media before hiring them.
- What your friends and family members post on social media can also negatively affect your social media image.
- Text messages, instant messages, emails, electronic photos and videos, and social media posts can always be forwarded to an unknown party or retrieved by law enforcement.
Contact The Teen Toolbox for additional strategies to help your teen understand the power of media and the importance of building a strong personal brand. We can get your teens Packaged For Success.
Related Post: Please Google Yourself
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox utilizes youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS™ Programs. We are committed to supporting and raising awareness about the needs and potential of teenagers in the foster care system.
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