As social media becomes a more integrated part in our daily lives, it is important to understand and be aware of our social media presence and the footprint that we leave behind.
While the first amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right of freedom of speech, social media platforms are not regulated by the first amendment, meaning that there are limits to the content people can post.
According to Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, Lata Nott, “[Platforms] have their own First Amendment rights.
This means they can moderate the content people post on their websites without violating those users’ First Amendment rights.”
Many social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have created policies against accounts and content that have the potential to post hate speech, allowing them the ability to take down anything under these guidelines.
According to the Instagram policy, “We believe that people use their voice and connect more freely when they don’t feel attacked on the basis of who they are.
That is why we don’t allow hate speech on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads.
It creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion, and in some cases may promote offline violence.”
In general, even when platforms allow certain content on their sites, that does not necessarily make that content acceptable to be shared.
People need to be conscious of their presence as it can offend and harm their viewers.
It is important to understand that your targeted audience is not always the only people who will be seeing your content, and when others view it who may be hurt or targeted, the only option is to take responsibility for your actions.
Your social media footprint is always important to keep in mind as it can help you either secure or lose a job opportunity.
According to journalist Rebecca Knight, having an active social media presence can be very helpful when it comes to finding a job, however it can be very harmful to have a negative tone on these platforms.
“You need to be mindful of your tone and how potential employers may perceive your posts,” Knight said.
According to Madison Consolidated School Digital Ambassadors (MCSDA), from a young age, whenever social media activity starts, it is very important to be aware of the impact you leave behind.
“Your teen will have a variety of paths in their future. It’s very important to keep in mind that many of their actions (and the reputation they set for themselves) online, can affect their future,” MCSDA said. “For example, colleges, before accepting a student, first view their social media looking to see if the applicant would be a good addition to their campus.”