It’s not a secret that social media has taken over our lives. With the advent of smartphones, many people spend hours every day on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and etc., sharing their candid thoughts and images. We are so engrossed in social media, we forget it is considered public space. What we say is not anonymous. In fact, even after deleting your comment or account, your history, may not be permanently deleted. So it is best to be careful at all times when sharing any type of information through social media. Why? Well, there are certain things that get you fired or in trouble in a blink of an eye.
In 2007, an intern was fired when his boss learned that he actually didn’t have a family emergency. What the intern really had was an emergency to get ready for a Halloween party. He posted a photo of himself in a fairy costume with a beer in hand and uploaded it to his Facebook account. The rest is history.
In 2009, a teacher from Georgia found herself facing rejection from her peers, as one of her student’s parent complained to the principal that her son’s teacher had photos on Facebook, that reflected her drinking wine and beer. The principal of the school offered the teacher two options: resign or accept suspension. This teacher decided to resign.
In 2012, a U.S. marine posted on his Facebook page a message that read ‘screw Obama.’ This little post got him discharged. On the other hand, a KFC employee in Tennessee got fired for posting a photo on Facebook of her licking a pile of mashed potatoes before serving it to clients.
In 2013, a bus driver was immediately fired for positing a message on Facebook, that stated what a child told him regarding him being rejected in the cafeteria by the cooks for not having money to buy lunch; therefore, the child was hungry. The bus driver went on to say that he couldn’t believe that if a student doesn’t have enough on his account, he gets turned away, as leftover school food is thrown out every day. It didn’t stop there. The bus driver stated that he would rather feed a child than to give food stamps to a crack head. Apparently, this didn’t sit well with the higher-ups at the school, as he was immediately fired. According to the higher-ups, there is no proof that the child went without eating on that particular day.
These are just a couple of the countless of cases where people have gotten fired due to posts or photos that put them in the spotlight in a negative way. You can avoid this by being mindful of what you to post on social media. That’s right, don’t be an internet troll. Think before posting anything. Ask yourself if it is going to have any negative consequences. Avoid posting nude photos, photos that reflect irresponsibility, and rude comments. It is better think first and save yourself the trouble later.