Recently, Facebook has launched their new privacy option on their web site – ranging from options to manage which things your “friends” see and which items on your site that you want to keep private. These options are all fine and good – but are they really “private?” Online privacy is definitely an issue that is being discussed in multiple arenas, and the question is – do we really have privacy with social media? I would have to say no, because someone always finds a way to get through the privacy measures set in place.
We have seen numerous occasions where people are posting whatever they want online, and they are not prepared with the consequences that follow their actions. Whether it is posting party pictures or having text messages that you sent posted – people are still not getting message (or tweet in social media terms) that what you post online stays online.
Some say that it is important to manage your two personas effectively – one is for your professional life, and the other is for your personal life. Well, why can’t they be one and the same? Why can’t you be professional in both your workplace AND your personal life? What we are seeing is that there is an inconsistency with people in how they present themselves in these various different settings, as well as what they are presenting online. Offline and online personas have to be align to build trust, credibility, and respect to those that you interact with in both settings.
Today, we are living in an age where anyone can save a text message, voicemail, tweet, or blog post to name a few that you have posted and share it with others not only in real time, but in the future as well. Look at what is happening with the Tiger Woods case – it just keeps on evolving into one of the biggest PR nightmares the sports and PR industry has seen recently. The problem that we are seeing in most of these cases (ex. Tiger Woods case) is the violation of expectations. People had this image of him being this role model for golf and having this crystal clear image – but in reality it was all a mirage to hide his true self.
The point is, you have to be honest and upfront to who you are as a person and your personal brand – or otherwise it will go against the expectations and perceptions of others.
Hope you all are having a great day. 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen
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