Online Reputation Management

When your teen asks you for a Facebook account, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not how will my teen be perceived by colleges or potential employers. But this should be one of your first thoughts along with the safety aspect of a social networking site. A few things to consider before your teen has a social networking account is what type of information will be posted, how much information should be made public and who should be able to see this information.

As a parent, you may think my child is only 13 years old and I don’t need to worry about college applications or job interviews yet. And most likely these thoughts have probably never crossed the mind of your teen. But remember, once words or photos are posted on the Internet there is no turning back to try to take them off.  Teens may delete photos and negative posts from their account but the problem is that these deleted photos may have already been downloaded on the web.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 37 percent of companies admitted to using social networking sites to research potential job prospects.  The employers who don’t use social networking sites for candidates’ information is because 15 percent stated it is against company policy. While 11 percent of companies stated they don’t currently use social networking sites but are planning to use them in the near future for candidates’ screening.  

So what should be considered when posting information on a social networking site to help protect your teen's online reputation?   Here are a few tips:

  

1. Remember everything you post on the Internet will be there Forever
2. No risque photos or videos, these can come back and haunt you later on (remember everything you post on the Internet will be there Forever)
3. No photos showing drinking or smoking, these could create unflattering behavior
4. Don’t use rude or inappropriate language, whether you are joking or not (remember not everyone has the same sense of humor online)
5. If someone tags you in an unbecoming post, go and remove the tag
6. Make sure your privacy settings on the social networking sites are set to the highest level
7. Post positive comments and volunteer work, but remember don’t give too much details for safety reasons
8. Friends change over time, remember to do periodical checks on who you are still friends with online and remove the friends that you no longer talk to

Parents and teens need to think about the Internet in these terms, that over the years that you have a social networking account all the information posted and deleted is accumulated in a virtual vessel on the web. Having an open line of communication with your teen about online safety and managing online reputation is a must in the digital age.  A good habit for parents, as well as teens to get into to protect their online presence is creating Google Alerts with your name to see what shows up online.