Okay ladies, so here’s something you didn’t know.

People are looking at your social networking profiles.

Shocked, right? Not so much? Yeah, I thought so. But you might actually be shocked to find out that 80% of admissions officers are now using Facebook to learn more about their applicants, and that a student’s social media presence does in fact affect their decisions.

As a way to counteract this, some admissions officers suggest that applicants like or follow their college of choice on Facebook or Twitter and use the social network as a way to stand out amongst applicants. But would you really want your potential college to have access to everything you post on Facebook? And should they really expect to? When you post something on the internet publicly you have to expect that people will read it. But should you expect that your college admissions officer will be searching for it? Should you expect that every college admissions officer is going to Facebook stalk every applicant now?

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So…here’s the thing.

I am a big fan of social networking. Huge. Some might call me an addict. Facebook. Twitter. The internet in general. You don’t spend your time blogging, tweeting, and updating all day if you’re not a fan of the internet. But even I have to admit that sometimes being a product of the Facebook generation has its faults.

Just look at what happened to Natalie Munroe, the Central Bucks High School English teacher, who was suspended after posting degrading comments about her students on a personal blog. And now, she’s all over the internet, and not in a good way. Munroe posted the comments over a year ago, but the blog was recently discovered when someone posted it on a Facebook page and eventually one of the parents turned it into the school.

Munroe claims that she never imagined that anyone would actually read what she wrote. But they did. And now she’s one of the biggest stories of the week. The blog has since been taken down. But the quotes and comments still live on. And that’s the most important part to remember, I think, for our generation, at least.

We’re a generation of oversharers (and if you think you’re not, think again). We lack boundaries. People post about everything from their bathroom habits to their sexcapades without giving it a second thought. But what happens when someone reads that comment about your horrible boss and shows it to said horrible boss? Or when you tell your friend you’re home sick and then post pictures of yourself with your boyfriend two hours later? How many times do you update your Facebook a day? Probably more than you realize. We do it without even thinking about it. Everything that happens has to be shared. It’s part of who we are. It’s part of what we do. But now we need to think about how what we do on the internet will affect what we do in real life.

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Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have (sadly) become a drug to our generation (and to our parents, all of a sudden). While social media definitely has its perks, it also has many cons, and I’m not just talking about how easy it is for my entire family to become friends with me and comment on every one of my statuses.

Perks: It allows people to keep in touch with old (and new) acquaintances, post and view pictures, spread the word about events on campus, meet people, and express themselves.

Not-so-perks: It also allows people to share (um) personal things. Really personal things (really often) that just make people feel really uncomfortable and awkward.

So how do you know if you’re using it all right or oh so horribly wrong? Here are just a few signs that you overshare on social media:

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As you sit reading this article, clicking away on your computer — updating your status, re-tweeting the oh-so hilarious #whitegrlproblems, you have to admit that you’ve been thrust, full force, into the digital age. Today’s world is a digital and international one, where you can send messages across the world and receive an instantaneous response. (You study abroad-ers know how valuable that is!)

And it’s changing everything.

Social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, have received a lot of international attention for their impact in the current political protests, specifically in the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

The freedom we take for granted is currently under siege in Egypt, where the Internet was recently blocked by government forces in an attempt to restrict communication among protesters who have been incredibly successful in orchestrating political movements.

President Hosni Mubarak is at the center of the controversy for leading a 30-year-old oppressive government marked with widespread unemployment and poverty. Instead of sitting idly by and watching their future crumble, today’s generation of internet-savvy and politically aware young people have taken power into their own hands, organizing riots and protesting the authoritarian and oppressive political party.

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This week, while college students everywhere bum out before classes begin, some celebs broke up, some got together, some were just plain crazy, and Snooki made books a joke. In other words, after a few weeks of relatively little gossip, a lot of marriages and proposals, and a lot of break-ups, it looks like celebrities have finally gotten back into their old random ways. Yay!

Winter Break Spent Drinking With Friends

1. Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez were spotted kissing – and the crazy death threats began. You would never think that an innocent relationship between two of young Hollywood’s cutest stars would cause 12-year-old girls all over the world pronouncing death threats – but then I guess you can if that relationship involves the Biebs. After weeks of rumors over whether or not Selena & Justin were dating, the two were photographed kissing and snuggling in little bathing suits (Sigh… it pains me that a 16 and 18-year-old have more a more fabulous life than me). Crazy fans immediately went crazier, tweeting all kinds of death threats to Selena. Girls… did you really think one of you would end up with Justin? Really?

2. David Arquette checked himself into rehab. Apparently, he just couldn’t handle his split from Courteney Cox. Seriously – during an interview on the Howard Stern show, he said that according to his psychologist, he was having a “nervous breakdown”. He also admitted, “I’ve been drinking a lot because I’m heartbroken.” Aw – I actually feel sorry for him. Sources say rehab was much needed. Who knows, maybe this divorce won’t go through after all.

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Maybe in an attempt to make up for all the cheating and divorcing that went on this past year, half of Hollywood seemed to get engaged over the holidays. I guess they really let the Christmas spirit get to them. Either way, congrats celebs. I only hope that at least one of these couples will still be around come 2012.

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Besides Lindsay Lohan being Lindsay Lohan and a few other tidbits of news, celebrity gossip was pretty slow this week. Maybe all the stars are getting ready for the holidays, or maybe they needed a break after last week’s divorce-a-thon, but either way, I hope they do something more interesting next week. I need more scandal!

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Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day – a day to take action towards informing yourself about how to protect yourself and others from HIV while reducing the prejudice of those infected. AIDS may seem like a problem only in the developing world, but it’s not. Over 1.1 million people in the USA have HIV. There remains a stigma around AIDS that can reduced the more we talk about it.

This year, some of your most-loved (or love-to-hate) celebs are giving up their digital life until their fans donate 1 million dollars by “buying life.” But you don’t have to be a celebrity with 5 million Twitter followers to make a difference.

As you sit in your dorm room (or lecture hall – we know you’re reading this in class!), you might be questioning what you can possibly do to make a difference – after all you are only one person. But, if everyone takes action, then collectively we can make some major strides. Even from that teeny, tiny room you call home.

Print out and put a poster on your door
I’m sure a lot of people walk by your room each day and chances are if there’s something different up on your door, they might take a second to stop and think about what the poster means, and maybe even generate a conversation with you about the topic.

Do your research
Read up on World AIDS Day. The best protection is knowledge. Spread what you know by talking to friends, or the random person who stops by your room after seeing your poster. Read More »

We live in a social media obsessed world. There’s Facebook, Myspace, (although I wonder if anyone actually still uses it), Twitter, and many blogging platforms such as Tumblr, WordPress, and Blogger. Although we upload our pictures to Flickr and Facebook all the time or write about our weekend experiences in personal blogs, there could be a possible downside to all of this internet exposure: According to the Wall Street Journal, 85% of hiring managers Google a candidate before or after an interview. This fact, which is becoming more and more well-known, brings up the question: To blog or not to blog?

While I’m not saying that anyone who publicly posts pictures of themselves puking into a fraternity bathroom shouldn’t be a cause for concern, I am posing the question of boundaries and what and when a company should base their decision on hiring someone because of what comes up when they use Google. For example, take all the CollegeCandy contributors. Should our future bosses decline an interview with us, even though our resumes may be well qualified, simply because we once wrote an article that mentions sex or highlights the importance of birth control?

Personally, I think keeping a blog of any kind is a worthwhile venture. As a writer, I like to post things I’m interested in, things that drive me crazy, and of course, continuously write about things that matter to me (this includes everything from literary theory criticisms to the correct usage of the Real Housewives of New Jersey’s infamous phrase “prostitution whore”). However, I often worry that if I post liberal-sided articles or a picture of me enjoying a glass of wine that someone may use those things against me and blow them out of proportion one day. Despite more and more social media outlets being introduced to society on a regular basis, it seems like the idea of censorship or hiding oneself (at least the internet brand of oneself) is becoming a constant battle. Read More »

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