CHAPTER 17 - Essay Example

s number) Social Networking Effects on first Impression Sites such as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, havetaken over the world. Both young and old people have been captives of this plague used differently by people, to satisfy different needs. Some people use them as; advertising sites, keeping in touch with friends and relatives and more so, updating others of what is going on in their minds to help reach out to the public. Yes, we are members of these social networking sites, and we can not evade from that truth (Al-deen and Hendricks, 5).
With the sites, someone has no way of confirming that the information posted on their walls is inaccurate. This is because individuals posts what is on their minds. These posts are open to be seen by all friends. The information posted, might paint either a negative or positive picture in the minds of the viewer. Some may like it or not. In most occasions, the post tells us a lot about an individual. We look for jobs day in and out, and some of us have jobs. When we are using these sites, we have to be conscious of what we post. This is because we do not know about the reaction of the employers towards the posts (Papacharissi 10). We should be more focused in using these sites and have a positive mind because it might be a way of advertising yourself positively, and through that someone can be able to get a job. In contrary to getting a job, the site can be a stepping stone to your downfall. A person can lose a job through the posts if they give a negative impression towards your job, your fellow employees or to your employer.
Many of us use these sites differently. It will be good if we know that we have information that might cause different reaction among the viewers. If we make them public to everyone the way we do, that is where we find ourselves in trouble. No one ever will like to employ a person that has constantly been posting pictures, either of him drunk or drunk with friends. It will be wise not to have your boss as friends or consider having different accounts. This helps one to manage different accounts. An individual can have one account as a ‘respect oriented site’ and the other one for personal interests. This will help keep personal dignity (Papacharissi 18).
With every new encounter with someone, individuals get to be evaluated. This helps one to form a personal impression about the other. Someone will be able to analyze a person through body language, dressing, mannerism and your demeanor. It is by this first impression that we set both tone and the reception to be given to us by an individual. When meeting a person for first time, they might not be in need of your qualification. They are interested in familiarization, and thereafter other agendas can come in later. Being your self is one virtue that earns points for someone. A person is able to gain confidentiality in an individual for that. It is unfortunate in the ‘Ethical Dilemma’ story above; that some people try to shape their resume with titles. Highlighting titles a person had in the previous job might not be necessary unless asked. People tend to think that it is a kind of bragging or elevating oneself esteem which might not be true with your intentions. It is good for one to create a good impression without total conformity or to losing individuality, and to make a good first impression one need to "fit in" to some degree, but it all goes back to being appropriate for the situation.
In conclusion, it is evident that social networking sites are there and no one can evade them. The world is dynamic, and we have to keep pace with it. It will be good if we try to look at both the positive and the negative effects of what we do over those social sites. This is because they can kill or build someone’s name. With the issue of ‘First impression”, one has to create a good impression without total conformity or loosing individuality.

Works Cited
Noor Al-Deen, Hana and Hendricks, A. John. Social Media: Usage and Impact. USA: Amazon Publishers, 2011. New York: Lexington Books, 2011.
Papacharissi, Zizi. A networked self: Identity, community and culture on Social Networks. Oxon: Taylor and Francis, 2011. Read More