MySpace and Facebook getting too personal?
By Olivia Tattory

Bikini-clad undergraduates pose provocatively while underage students excitedly post their latest kegstand photos.

“I am drinking a 40 right now by myself cause I am bored so my message is kinda ghetto and I don’t know why,” read a Rider student’s wall posting from Facebook.com. Another Rider student’s wall read, “wish we got to say bye and have a parting blunt. I guess we’ll just have to [have] a reunion blunt hahaha.”

Young adults and, more specifically, college students have recently become victims of the latest cultural phenomenon. The popular web sites MySpace, Facebook and YouTube have exposed the social lives of college undergraduates.

All three web sites are listed in the top 20 of the most visited sites in the United States, as reported by Alexa Internet, a web site that provides information on web traffic. MySpace, ranked third on the list, is behind only Google and Yahoo, while YouTube ranked eighth and Facebook 15th.

The sites are used to chronicle, in some way or another, participating members’ lives and to enhance socializing with friends and sometimes, even strangers. Pictures, videos and comments from friends are all in clear view on the profiles offered by MySpace and Facebook.

“Whatever students put online that may seem private to friends really isn’t,” said Dr. John Suler, professor of psychology. “They’re really doing something in public.”
Suler advises independent study courses that focus on cyber psychology and its consequences.

“I study how individual people in groups behave in environments that include social networking sites,” said Suler.

These studies have virtually transformed over the last 10 years because of the generation of people and their familiarity with the Internet. Students are beginning to recognize the potential consequences of their actions on the Internet outside the cyber world.

“The people coming up are a lot more savvy about it,” said Suler.
This creates debate over privacy issues and whether or not using this information against the individual is unethical. Since the Internet is relatively new technology, current privacy laws are not suited for online issues.

Although there have been some privacy acts enacted, they only begin to touch on Internet privacy and safety as a whole.

“The issues of privacy online are very complex,” said Suler.
Facebook was originally intended exclusively for college students with an “.edu” E-mail address. This seemingly safety net gave students the impression that no one else would have access to the site. In actuality, this is not the case.

In fact, an increasing number of employers are gaining access to these sites and potentially using them as a factor in the application process. Are students aware of this?

“No, I’m not stupid,” said freshman Nick Kushner when asked whether or not he had inappropriate pictures or videos of himself posted on the Internet. “I’ve heard it all on the news before.”

One tactic for employers to gain an all-access pass is to offer alumni campus E-mail
addresses. This would allow senior level executives the ability to search their alma maters’ Facebook for potential employees.

Additionally, companies can also approach current employees who have access to Facebook to conduct research outside an employment application. Employers are looking for any character flaws or inappropriate behavior that may misrepresent their organization.

“Students have to realize that these sites are a representation of them,” said Dean Anthony Campbell. “That’s their image to the world, whether it’s a positive image or a negative image is their decision.”

Although YouTube is primarily focused on videos submitted by its members, this does not take away from the potential impact these web sites may have on college students lives.
A member of the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) for example, posted a video on YouTube from bid day last semester. Most likely only posted as a joke or for amusement, the entire fraternity is now paying the price.

“The video was taken on bid day and was not appropriate for TKE nationally and what they wanted their image to be displayed as,” said Greek Life Director Ada Badgley. “The group received a sanction.”

“It was a college thing, I’m sure most college students have that,” said Kevin Brommer, president of TKE.

The group is on probation until it finishes all the required activities, including dealing with Internet safety and behavior, said Badgley.

The fact of the matter is that college students need to recognize the possible consequences of their Internet activity. There is no such thing as privacy on the World Wide Web and students need to practice caution when online.

“Sometimes students may estimate what they know, but they are really underestimating how powerful and how smart people can be when using the Internet,” said psychologist Suler.