"What's on your mind?"

Anything you post WILL be taken against you. The Internet is forever. Think before you post.

How to Become Unemployed Courtesy of Facebook

Who can forget last year's Ashley Payne, the former high school teacher in Georgia, who was forced to resign after a parent complained about the impropriety of one of her vacation photos?

Where this photo is from: "Straight from the A"

Looks harmless enough, don't you think? She was, after all, on a Euro trip, and you know what they say... "When in Ireland, do what the Irish do--drink a Guinness beer." Apparently, the school administrators thought otherwise.

Just recently, news of this kind broke out again, as an editor of a Fairfax newspaper was immediately terminated after a smart-ass and totally insensitive status update.

Where this photo is from: The Daily Telegraph

Seeing his post "there's nothing better than a death to lift circulation," people in his Facebook were aghast, as this was in reference to the death of a police officer who was shot and killed on duty.

Yet, there are stories of many others who have lost their jobs over Facebook that don't make it to the news. Here's a look at a few of them:

Where this photo is from: a Facebook group called "Fired Because of Facebook"

There are so many of them that a book called "Fired for Facebooking" is already in the works. It's going to be a collection of their stories, pretty much like Chicken Soup for the Soul--only depressing, scary, and more likely, an if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now read. (For more Facebook phenomenon related books, click here)

WE'RE NOT IMMUNE TO THIS.

Anyone with a Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking account is exposed to the risk of getting fired over Facebook everyday.

10 Ways You Can Lose Your Job for Facebooking

10. It's counter-productive, as I've already explained in My Facebook Hypothesis.

9. Your boss is on Facebook, and he/she is making very good use of the News Feed to check whether you're doing your job or not.

8. Whether you're ranting about your job or gloating over how you pulled a fast one on your boss, remember this: Anything you say can and will be taken against you. Read: Status Updates Spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E

7. Venting via your status updates or your Wall--no matter how unrelated to your profession--and "Like-ing" certain pages can get the honchos dishing the "conduct unbecoming of an employee of this company" memo. (Wait. Let me just Unlike "If you're talking about me behind my back, you're in a good position to kiss my ass." Okay. I'm back.)

6. Uploading a photo of you on a drinking spree--glazed eyes and all.

5. Uploading a photo of you with your head down the toilet after such drinking spree.

4. Posting a video of you and your friends in a compromising position.

3. Getting tagged by your friends in any incriminating photos.

2. Tagging yourself in (self)incriminating photos from your friends' albums.

1. Tagging your boss in incriminating photos and/or videos.

   

Spell "trouble": S-T-A-T-U-S U-P-D-A-T-E-S

I know that you're only reading this entry because my amazing work of art has caught your attention, so I won't keep you long. Anti-Facebook blog sickfacebook.com quoted Australian psychologist Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg as saying that people who post status updates (and tweets) "could be suffering from insecurity... [they're] sending a message out to everybody that rather than just quietly getting on with what [they're] doing [they] need external recognition.” OUCH! I didn't see that one coming. As if it weren't enough, he went on to explain further that status updates crying or implying depression shows attention-deficit behavior.“This is a digital SOS. They can be very, very upsetting when you send out something and you get absolutely nothing back," he said.

I know that the guy means well. In fact, I totally understand how dangerous status updates get. Perverts and players can get the wrong (or right) signals, as singles put themselves at risk of sounding desperate for a little romance--which is pretty much like handing your house keys to a thief, with your address attached. Employees getting sacked, cheating husbands busted, and a soldier botching a raid by unwittingly leaking information via his Facebook status update are only a few examples. Not only that. Status updates destroy friendships, too. I know someone who knows someone who thought that a friend's status was directed at him. I can't blame him for overreacting, though, as many use tweets and statuses for cyber bullying or "flaming." (In Dr. Carr-Gregg's book Real Wired Child, he provides practical tips for parents in guiding their teens' online communications, social networking, web surfing, downloading, and gaming activities to ensure their well-being in cyberspace.)

Anyway, Dr. Carr-Gregg's study found that our status updates reveal more about us than we think, even more than all the things we write in our profiles combined. Affected yet? I wouldn't be too bothered, if I were you. He also said, "You could be forgiven for thinking no one cares [about you], but not everybody is online or checking their phone all the time.” It's just you, you insecure, attention-deficit, danger-hungry addict! See? You should really feel better now. lol