What Happens on the Internet, Stays on the Internet

Can, and should, this information be considered by future employers?

The proposition “what happens on the internet stays on the internet” is as absurd as its sporting and travel equivalents. I can see no basis to prevent future employers from obtaining whatever information they can readily and legally access on prospective employees. When people apply for jobs, they submit their CV’s which includes their previous jobs, publications, referees etc. Recruiters are permitted to consult these, and they recognize that such references will always be selected to cast a positive light on the applicant. There is no justification to stop employers looking for an independent or more balanced view, but what those applicants also have a right to expect is that the employers will keep what they find in context, and will only consider material that is relevant to the job. The trouble is, a rejected applicant will never know for sure that it was their online reputation which cost them a job or an interview.

An applicant aware that he or she has an unfavourable digital shadow would be well advised to counter it with a favourable Personal Web Presence as Tama has taught, and to possibly admit it up front in the job application, to prevent the “eureka!” moment. Even employers were young and immature once, and should be prepared discount history which is irrelevant to the job and to the applicant’s present situation. As Dana Boyd puts it: “Many of today's teens will also look back at the immaturity of their teen years and giggle uncomfortably. Over time, foolish digital pasts will simply become part of the cultural fabric.” However, where the unfavourable digital shadow is pertinent to (for example) a job’s requirements, then the applicant will have to live with it, and will learn Tama’s mantra to jealously guard your online reputation.

boyd states that "my generation isn't as afraid of public opinion as his was. We face it head-on and know how to manage it. We digitally document every love story and teen drama imaginable and then go on to put out content that creates a really nuanced public persona." Do you agree? Is boyd overemphasising the extent to which young people can design their online image?

Boyd is probably right to assert that “her generation” is less concerned about public opinion, but that is possibly because they are not aware how public are the details they have shared with their friends, and how they can count against you in the not too distant future. I reckon that young people can theoretically craft their online image to an incredible degree – they just need to make the determination to do it and have their wits about them from a very early age. I suspect this is not often the case!