Most students know Mark Zuckerberg as the genius behind Facebook, but what were his intentions for the original Facebook? Zuckerberg said, “I founded Facebook on the idea that people want to share and connect with people in their lives.” Unfortunately, for parents, teachers, and teens, Facebook has also served a different purpose. It has become a dangerous social networking site where, with the click of your mouse, you can leave permanent digital footprints all over the internet.
In the past years, some have considered that Facebook has gone from good to bad. Statistics show that the percentage of colleges checking Facebook activity, to learn more about their applicants, has increased to 27% since 2004. Many student applications have been rejected because the students have carelessly posted inappropriate photos and comments. When teens create a Facebook account they don’t realize the potential dangers they have just unlocked. Teens believe that Facebook is a popularity contest, whoever has the most friends, is the “coolest.”
Even though there are many individuals that post inappropriate comments and pictures on their Facebook profiles, most teachers, community members, and parents know how to use the social network responsibly. As Zuckerberg said, Facebook should be used to stay in touch with friends and families. “I use facebook to send pictures of my two sons to my mother. It’s an easy way for her to keep in touch with her grandchildren,” said L.A./ Greek Tutor Allison S.
Facebook can be used to notify family and friends of updates quickly and share funny pictures. Many people use Facebook as a way to send invitations or notifications to social events like birthday parties, get-togethers, conventions, and more.
Sadly, many teens accidentally release their personal information. Teens avoid the privacy settings that Facebook offers. When you log in to your Facebook account, you can access your privacy settings by clicking the General tab under Settings. Here, you face the decision of sharing your posts with the entire world, just your friends, or specific people.
It all goes back to why you use Facebook. For those in it for the popularity, they will probably disregard the privacy options and make most, if not all of their posts public. If those individuals are not ready to handle the responsibility of a social media account, it can be harmful.
Overall I think that Facebook is an incredible creation that just has to be used for the right purposes.
