Blog #10: The price of Public Shaming in the Internet age

Social media is a part of almost every college student's daily routine. Social media is the easiest way to keep up with what current events that are going on in the world. The pros of social media sound like they probably outweigh the cons but you have to always think about the other side of the good. Young individuals worldwide also get to say whatever they want when they want and that could be a problem. In 2015, jobs are using any information they can find as a resource to see if an individual is fit for that job. Social media profiles are one of the top ways to find out what you want to know. Public shaming is the name of the topic and Jonah Lehrer is a perfect example of being a victim of it. Mr. Lehrer was found guilty of plagiarizing some passages. He was blasted for it on a live Twitter feed during his recital of the passage. This will indeed scar the credibility of Jonah Lehrer for the rest of his life. Everyone is human and should be giving second chances but in this day and age that is not happening. Another example of this permanent scar, is the case of Victor Paul Alvarez. After making a terrible joke about a US representative he was blasted on social media and the impact led to his firing. The reporter is still on a search for a job as we speak. Freedom of speech is definitely a civil right to us US citizens but don't let it ruin your future endeavors. Social media sites will break down the rude or ignorant remarks of members of the sites especially if they are popular to the public eye. Public shaming will affect our future workers of America because it will cause them to be more aware of what they have to say or post. As a current college student, that will seek employment after graduation, I always think twice about what I post to the public. Businesses have an easier hiring process because they can weed out who is not fit for the job based on what they found out through social media.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/living/feat-public-shaming-ronson/index.html

Shane Otchere
April 22, 2015
12:54 AM