Am I paranoid for not wanting to be on Facebook?

Dear Deb: 

I am probably the only person in my generation not on Facebook.  As a field sales representative, I have always been worried about my private info becoming available to my clients and prospects. Also, I have a lot of immature friends.   With cell phone cameras and lots of 20-something friends, it’s a matter of time before someone posts a picture of me in a bikini or with a beer.  I am well-behaved, but even photos of me dancing, drinking, or at the pool could have a negative perception.  I sell financial products for a very buttoned-down firm in Boston.  Am I paranoid?

Thanks,

Sara

Dear Sara:

I agree that it is tempting to be a part of Facebook.  So many of your friends are using it and on many blogs you can only post a comment using your Facebook log-in.  You are wise beyond your years for safeguarding your online reputation!  There may be steps you can take to enable you to feel comfortable on social media. Social media is a part of our lives, including our career. These issues extend beyond Facebook, but to answer your questions we’ll focus on Facebook. 

Get to know Facebook’s setting, especially those concerning privacy.   For example, elect all “un-Public” options.  De-select the option to share anything with friends-of-friends.  You can turn off the option for friends to automatically identify you in a photo. Those are a few ways to increase your privacy.  Here is a link to a nice advice article by ConsumerReports.org.  This article details the risks and some actions you can take to increase your privacy.  

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If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.