MGMT 535 (Module 4) Reflection Blog: The Future of Lying
MGMT 535 (Module 4) Reflection Blog: The Future of Lying
I haven't really delved into the LinkedIn world other than to develop a profile and fill it with some info. I am not currently looking for a job, so I just filled it with some basic information. I do have some contacts though, and after looking at some of their profiles I feel like I can confidently say I have pretty honest friends. At least from what I know about them. It seems as though their profiles are a very good representation of their skills and those that have endorsements seem to validate their information even more. I can honestly say that I feel as though my profile is a pretty good representation of my skills and knowledge as well.
Social networking and virtual communication have drastically changed the way we communicate. I can't really say if it has contributed to dissuaded unethical behavior, but if there is a study out there, then I would guess it has contributed to more than dissuaded. Even though Mr. Hancock pointed out that LinkedIn profiles were typically more honest than paper resumes and that Facebook profiles generally matched up with individual's profiles, there are other forms of social media and virtual communication that definitely promote a little bit (or a lot) of lying. As Mr. Hancock pointed out, online dating is probably the most egregious. I can't say that I am surprised. Deep down I think we all want to be accepted so we try to put forward the best version of ourselves in an attempt to get that acceptance. In a lot of ways, I see people display similar behaviors on Facebook or Snapchat. We want to show the people in our network that our lives are amazing. We look at our friend's lives and we envy the cool things they are doing. It makes us feel inadequate in some ways. I think this is a common underlying issue with social media. It is very easy to create a persona on social media that may not be completely accurate to real life. Unfortunately, these actions most likely spill over to other aspects of a person's life, if they are already prone to this behavior on one social media platform. It is the longing for acceptance that drives the individual to tell white lies on things like resumes and professional profiles.
A friend of mine once said, "Things you put on the internet never really go away. The digital footprint stays forever." I don't know how true that is, but I do believe that once you put something out there, it is either impossible or very difficult to take back. Therefore, the part of this Ted talk that spoke to me the most was when Mr. Hancock spoke about how we leave a huge trace behind. Our email conversations, our social media posts, our pictures, etc. All of that is out there. As a result, I try to be very conscious and selective about what I post. I have a personal rule to not post or engage in political or religious conversations on social media. I won't lie...when I am scrolling through my newsfeed and I see something that I passionately disagree with it is very difficult to not type a response and hit send. I completely understand how other people are drawn into this. There is confidence we get from behind a keyboard and a level of anonymity that makes us feel empowered enough to engage with strangers or even acquaintances on controversial subjects. I do believe that we leave behind some sort of digital footprint and that we should be very calculated about what we post, email, chat, or snap. I also know that many employers look at social media profiles when they are interviewing and considering individuals for a job. I would never want my social media presence to be what stands between me and my dream job.
I haven't really delved into the LinkedIn world other than to develop a profile and fill it with some info. I am not currently looking for a job, so I just filled it with some basic information. I do have some contacts though, and after looking at some of their profiles I feel like I can confidently say I have pretty honest friends. At least from what I know about them. It seems as though their profiles are a very good representation of their skills and those that have endorsements seem to validate their information even more. I can honestly say that I feel as though my profile is a pretty good representation of my skills and knowledge as well.
Social networking and virtual communication have drastically changed the way we communicate. I can't really say if it has contributed to dissuaded unethical behavior, but if there is a study out there, then I would guess it has contributed to more than dissuaded. Even though Mr. Hancock pointed out that LinkedIn profiles were typically more honest than paper resumes and that Facebook profiles generally matched up with individual's profiles, there are other forms of social media and virtual communication that definitely promote a little bit (or a lot) of lying. As Mr. Hancock pointed out, online dating is probably the most egregious. I can't say that I am surprised. Deep down I think we all want to be accepted so we try to put forward the best version of ourselves in an attempt to get that acceptance. In a lot of ways, I see people display similar behaviors on Facebook or Snapchat. We want to show the people in our network that our lives are amazing. We look at our friend's lives and we envy the cool things they are doing. It makes us feel inadequate in some ways. I think this is a common underlying issue with social media. It is very easy to create a persona on social media that may not be completely accurate to real life. Unfortunately, these actions most likely spill over to other aspects of a person's life, if they are already prone to this behavior on one social media platform. It is the longing for acceptance that drives the individual to tell white lies on things like resumes and professional profiles.
A friend of mine once said, "Things you put on the internet never really go away. The digital footprint stays forever." I don't know how true that is, but I do believe that once you put something out there, it is either impossible or very difficult to take back. Therefore, the part of this Ted talk that spoke to me the most was when Mr. Hancock spoke about how we leave a huge trace behind. Our email conversations, our social media posts, our pictures, etc. All of that is out there. As a result, I try to be very conscious and selective about what I post. I have a personal rule to not post or engage in political or religious conversations on social media. I won't lie...when I am scrolling through my newsfeed and I see something that I passionately disagree with it is very difficult to not type a response and hit send. I completely understand how other people are drawn into this. There is confidence we get from behind a keyboard and a level of anonymity that makes us feel empowered enough to engage with strangers or even acquaintances on controversial subjects. I do believe that we leave behind some sort of digital footprint and that we should be very calculated about what we post, email, chat, or snap. I also know that many employers look at social media profiles when they are interviewing and considering individuals for a job. I would never want my social media presence to be what stands between me and my dream job.
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