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Respect Your Future Melanie Stepanek Social Media Specialist, UW Oshkosh Admissions 10/20/10
Respect Your Future Melanie Stepanek
Social Media Specialist, UW Oshkosh Admissions
10/20/10
My social media background
Graduated Lourdes in 2006
Graduated UW Oshkosh in 2010 with a degree in PR/Advertising
Worked 1.5 years at marketing agency in Fox Valley specializing in social media
Developed social media program for Journalism Department; regular guest presenter for college PR/Ad courses
Social media specialist for Admissions office at UW Oshkosh
Facebook is great if…
You are connecting with friends
You are sharing photos of fun events
You are posting links to funny sites or videos
You are keeping up with family
You are aware that everything you post is accessible somehow by anyone in the world
You are aware that everything you post will stay on the Internet forever
Facebook is not so great if…
You are making fun of people
You are sharing embarrassing photos or videos of other people
You are posting inappropriate links
You post things you wouldn’t want your family to see
You think that what you post doesn’t matter
You think that no one who “matters” will ever see it
The Truth Is…Facebook is a megaphone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTN9We8unmU
Everything you post is stored on a server somewhere
Privacy settings only prevent so much
Employers and schools take what you post seriously
It only takes a second to post…
But the consequences will follow you forever…
Close to Home
Basketball star in Barneveld, Wisconsin caught underage drinking… Was kicked off the team…
Lost a full scholarship… Got kicked out of
school for a year… Because photos of
the party were posted on Facebook.
Student at UW Oshkosh.. Applied for a job with
troubled youth… Didn’t get the job…
Because photos of themselves drinking underage… Were posted on
Facebook.
Students applying for my internship…
Photos aren’t the only thing that can get you into trouble:Employer Warning Signs
Negative posts
Excessive derogatory language
Belittling of other people
Rude, offensive comments
Talking badly about current positions you have (is that how you’d talk about me?)
YouTube can make you into an overnight celebrity.
Which can be good if you are:
Susan Boyle
The Double Rainbow Guy
But it can be bad if you are:
This lady: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYdUZdan5i8
(She had to go under police protection.)
The same problems arise on other social media…
How many of you own one of these fun devices?
Cell phones + accessibility + reach mass audience + rash decision = regret.
Most of these potentially harmful situations can be avoided if you just…
You already know how to avoid disastrous situations. If you can’t say anything
nice, don’t say anything at all.
Think before you speak.
Write or post things you wouldn’t mind seeing 20 years down the road.
The best way to keep things private is to keep them to yourself.
The whole world doesn’t need to know the ins and outs of your day-to-day life.
Don’t talk behind peoples’ backs. There is no such thing.
Be aware of your surroundings. You don’t live in a bubble.
Be responsible.
Behave.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.
It’s NOT easier to ask forgiveness than permission. You may not have the chance to apologize.
Don’t forget…
That you can only control yourself.
Digital Cameras, Cell phones, FlipCams… Technology is everywhere.
You have to make sure that you are careful of your actions OFFLINE as well…
It only takes a second for someone to snap a photo you may not realize is online until it’s too late.
RESPECT YOUR FUTURE.
